The Case of the Girls Night Out!
by BGlanders
Summary: Schoolyard adventure! A grandiose scheme! Mysterious notes and Phantom Thieves! A completely canon and decidedly Detective Conan fanfic featuring excitement, humor and deductions galore! Completed.
1. Thieving Clues and Recess Blues

School.

Monday.

In a classroom in Japan, a student sat restlessly as his teacher droned on with the day's lesson. While this may have been any student in any classroom, this student was different.

This student, unbeknownst to all but a few, was more than a simple student. He was in fact the most wanted man on the planet, the latest in a long line of respected, hunted and sought-after criminals that had walked the globe for centuries. He was known by dozens of names, and even popularized by his FBI criminal case number.

And he was bored.

**VERY** bored.

That morning he had scanned the papers and noted that some jewel thieves in Nagoya had nearly pulled off the heist of the year. Their target had been one of his former, the wealthy queen of the Suzuki financial empire.

At the time, he had only paid it minor attention, but now as he sat in class and went over it again in his head, a plan began to form.

Slowly a grin started to creep across the thief's young, handsome face. A grin that would have confirmed certain long-held suspicions had the blonde-haired detective sitting in front of him turned back to look just then.

It wouldn't be anything too elaborate or dangerous, and it might in fact actually be helpful for a few interesting people he knew. Besides, if absolutely nothing else… it was something to do.

And why?

_'Because I can,'_ he thought to himself.

And that was that.

* * *

The Case of the Girls Night Out! 

Part One: Thieving Clues and Recess Blues

A Detective Conan fanfic by BGlanders

* * *

"Oy, Haibara-san? Agasa-san?" 

Kudo Shinichi, also known as the Great Detective of the West and second-grader extraordinaire Edogawa Conan, plopped his dripping book bag by the door of Professor Agasa's house as he quickly removed his tiny blue blazer in an effort to get dry. 'Conan' had heard about the storm on the news that morning but, in his efforts to wake up sans coffee, had completely ignored it.

He had managed to cling to that small holdover from his former life for several months, but apparently his addiction had finally drawn some unwanted attention when one morning over breakfast Ran had snatched a cup of steaming coffee from Conan's hand before he could take a sip.

"Coffee isn't good for young kids," he was told by a slightly scolding (yet affectionate), Ran-neechan several weeks ago. "It could stunt your growth, and you're short enough as it is, Conan-kun."

No words could properly describe the answers that Conan silently bit back.

So Conan had learned to adjust to the lack of coffee in his life. He had been able to sneak in one or two quick stop offs at the Coffee Shop on the way home from school, but those had been cut short by Ayumi-chan's nagging about how coffee was a "big person's drink" and how "Conan-kun may be mature, but coffee is bad for you at this age." He'd ignored her, of course. It was only when she'd threatened to tell Ran about his recent visitations to the bean house that he'd finally given up in defeat. Conan suspected there was a pay-off involved somewhere

'_Since when has Ayumi-chan cared what I drink?' _ He thought, but without solid proof, there was nothing he could do about it.

Being coffee-free had been just another adjustment in an endless series of adjustments to his life that he had never considered until they made themselves painfully clear. Things like counter tops, door handles, high shelves… the list went on and on, as did his silent rage against a world that had obviously forgotten what it was to be little.

_'There is only one truth,'_ Conan thought to himself, _'and it is this: I'll either continue to adjust, or I'll simply pop.'_

Considering his recent luck, he was leaning towards popping.

* * *

_Earlier that day…_

_

* * *

_

School for Conan had been the same as it had always been: mind-numbingly boring. There was one thing that had caught his attention though; after effectively tuning out a lecture on fairy tales he decided to do some people watching regarding his fellow classmates.

Granted, this week the teacher's favorite had been L. Frank Baum and Conan had remembered liking his stories from his first time around, but that was just it; he'd heard it all before and seen it all several times. There was next to nothing in grade school that held any interest for him.

Conan continued to people-watch as the teacher went on about the cowardly lion. Honda looked like he was sneaking an early lunch, Mitsumi was fast asleep, apparently one of his classmates decided to pass some notes to kill the boredom…

Waitaminute.

Conan did a double take. There was no mistake, a note was being passed. This in itself was nothing big, but the passer of the note was what caught Conan's undivided attention.

It was Haibara Ai.

Ai never did anything in class except finish her work, mumble and leave as soon as she was able to. Occasionally she joined him in reading during recess, and on rare occasion Conan had actually caught her playing with the other Detective Boys, but that seemed to be more their doing than anything else.

So why was Ai passing notes in class?

Conan saw the note slide from Ai's fingers to the waiting hands of Ayumi. All the while Ai's eyes remained focused on the teacher, her disinterested expression never wavering.

Conan made a silent promise to never play Ai in a game of poker.

Ayumi read the note eagerly while hiding it behind her text book. Her eyes seemed to scrunch several times, _'most likely due to Haibara's vocabulary'_ Shinichi thought. Eventually Ayumi's face lit up with the largest grin he'd seen in months. Quickly, Ayumi flipped the note over and began writing one back in a hurried scribble. Then, as soon as the teacher wasn't looking she slipped it back into the waiting palm of Haibara.

All the while, Conan had been entranced by the sheer normalcy of this act. He never saw Ai do much of anything kid-like, but here she was; passing notes to kill time. That simple act both shocked and alleviated the young detective. Maybe now she was finally going to lighten up a bit? Conan could only hope… but then another though occurred to him.

'_Just what are they talking about?'_

Ai had never been one to do anything without having a reason. She never just 'killed time,' even when she was bored. She was the type of person who performed each and every action with purpose, right down to passing notes. If that was the case, then what, exactly, was her purpose in passing notes with Ayumi?

After making sure the teacher wasn't looking, Conan tried to shift in his seat to see what was on the notes that were going back and forth. Briefly he considered using the magnifying glass that Agasa had built into his glasses as he peered over to Haibara's desk; his body leaning almost dangerously over the aisle between his desk and hers. As he strained to get a better look at her note he heard several giggles from the kids behind him. Suddenly realizing how far he had been leaning and how obviously he was snooping, he looked up.

Ai's cold gaze quietly met his own.

With a quick gulp and the look of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Conan quickly leaned back and resumed being interested in his readings as the teacher continued in her lecture. Without a word, Ai reached into her bag, brought out another piece of paper and began writing on it with a bright pink pen.

Lacking anything worthwhile to focus on and not wanting to embarrass himself further, Conan felt himself slip into deductive-mode for the second time that day. He considered every use and purpose Ai would have for passing notes, from the casual to the morbid, and even the obscene. Quickly deciding that Ai wasn't the type of person to go down those roads, he turned his thoughts to other…

_'Huh?'_

Conan blankly looked at the folded piece of paper that had landed on his open textbook. To his right, Haibara sat with her face towards the teacher, her hands crossed over her desk.

It was a note. Conan opened it and read the following:

_You always look so serious when you're trying to figure out what's going on around you, Kudo-kun. You really should relax more before that cute little wrinkle above your eyes starts to set in._

_Besides, do you really want to know what girls talk about when you can't hear? What about what they do when you aren't around? I never would have pegged you for a voyeur. How scandalous, Kudo-kun._

_Consider this punishment for prying._

_-Ai_

Conan blushed as he read the letter to himself. '_Geez, talk about knowing how to read a guy. I am NEVER playing cards with this woman. How did she manage to write this so fast? What does she mean 'cute'? Her tone… Is she hitting on me? What the Hell is going on! What did she mean by 'punishment'? Is…oh.'_

Conan noticed the shadow that had fallen over his desk.

"Tell me Edogowa-kun, would you like to share the contents of your note with the rest of the class? You must, since it's apparently MUCH more interesting than anything I have to say."

Conan barely got out an 'eep' before the teacher snatched the note out of his hands and held it to the side. To his horror, Conan noticed the other side of the note had been adorned with giant hearts, X's and O's, with his name in the center.

This wasn't something that would go unnoticed especially in a second grade classroom.

Conan sank into his seat with a face redder than the side of a barn as the cat calls and 'oooooooo's started to chorus from around the room. Not that any of this had any lasting effect on him, but some things in life are just instinctual no matter what the age, and one of them just happens to be getting embarrassed by a teacher when they call you out.

"The next time you want to pass notes, you can wait until you are at recess. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Conan meekly answered. Beside him, Haibara allowed herself a small smile as the Detective Boys hooted and hollered, save for Ayumi who looked slightly embarrassed for her friend, and slightly sad.

"Good. You can get this back at the end of the period, Edogowa-kun." And with that, she let him be, taking the damning note with her to her desk. Conan knew his teacher well enough to know she wouldn't betray her students privacy by reading the note aloud, but it still bothered him that something with his real name had been confiscated.

_'Nothing I can do about it now, I suppose' _he thought to himself.

The morning periods continued without incident. Conan grudgingly noticed at least two more notes being passed before the final bell rang, but the teacher in her infinite watch for misconduct seemed to have missed both acts. Conan mused that maybe it was some type of conspiracy between the women of the world to make men suffer at every chance for idle amusement.

* * *

Recess. 

While the weather had been miserable for most of the day, the clouds had decided to seal up for the time being, allowing the children of Conan's school the chance to run and play on the slippery, cold playground equipment and splash in the murky, freezing puddles that had formed on the faded blacktop.

It was the only time during the school day that Conan somewhat enjoyed. He had consigned himself to the fact that he was stuck in the itty-bitty version of his body months ago, and if he was going to relive his childhood then by God he'd at least get something out of it.

It had been noted amongst Conan's classmates that for a runty kid, Conan could play pretty darn hard when he wanted to.

Today however wasn't one of those days. Conan was in a funk, one he doubted would go away due to excessive swinging from wet monkey bars. Too much was distracting him for a week when nothing was supposed to be distracting him, and that was getting distracting. Grumpily, Conan wished for a murder, robbery, abduction…ANYTHING to break the boredom, and then stopped.

_'Woah there; it's not like I WANT these things to happen, I just… I need something to take my mind off of things. Actually, in point of fact I need something to put my mind ON. Damnit, I'm bored…'_

Conan was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to notice the young woman walking beside him.

"Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked tentatively.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Ayumi-chan. Sorry about that; I was off in my own little world for a sec."

Ayumi had been taking in her classmate's attitude and demeanor for most of the day and had come to a conclusion. While a child and not as attuned to things at the level of Conan or Haibara, Ayumi was arguably the brightest of the three children involved with the Detective Boys. Genta had the muscle and gumption, Mitsuhiko had the courage and thought things through logically when possible, but when push came to shove, Ayumi was the strongest and smartest of the three.

Being kidnapped several times and working on multiple murder cases will do that to a person.

At the moment, Ayumi was employing every skill and ability that Conan had taught her over the last few months. She may not have been terribly experienced, but she had an intuition that was beyond her years. Through that plus Conan's tutelage she knew that her favorite classmate was in a funk.

"Conan-kun, are you okay? Did those kids hurt your feelings in class today?" Ayumi asked as she stuffed her hands inside her pink windbreaker. Other kids ran and played around them, each dressed for the unseasonably chilly air the storm had brought.

Conan shrugged and smiled at his friend. "I'm fine, Ayumi-chan. They didn't bother me, I was just a little embarrassed, really."

Ayumi nodded and then paused, a question on her mind. Conan read the concern on her face and asked, "What's bothering you, Ayumi-chan?"

Ayumi looked up, slightly surprised that Conan knew something was on her mind. "Conan-kun…can…can I ask you something?"

"Sure Ayumi. What's on your mind?"

Ayumi paused as she debated the best way to ask her question. When dealing with boys, Ayumi knew that sometimes you had to use different tones to get the right answers. She was still learning this fact of life and didn't know quite how to put it into words, but she knew that certain ways of saying things tended to get ignored, while others tended to get results, especially with boys.

Ayumi looked up with a slightly accusatory look in her eyes and said, "Who was that note from in class today, Conan-kun?"

Conan stepped back in shock at her anger. '_Ohhhkay, she's mad. I'd better say something fast or else she'll start crying, and then...'_

Conan looked across the playground to Genta and Mitsuhiko. They hadn't noticed what was going on…yet. Conan knew that the second Ayumi started crying they would be on him and then… then the chasing would start.

Conan wasn't in the mood for chasing. Conan wasn't in the mood to be grilled, either.

"It was nothing, Ayumi. It was just…"

Ayumi started to tear up in front of him. "Conan-kun, do you have a girlfriend that I don't know about?"

Conan could hear her real question in the back of his mind and it made his skin bristle.

_Conan-kun, are you considering a woman besides ME!_

"No! NO! Ayumi-chan, listen. That note was nothing more than…" Conan spotted Ai sitting nearby reading a thick novel on a small, wiped-down bench. With a glare, he raised his voice and continued.

"…Nothing more than a childish prank pulled by a very, _very_ immature little girl, Ayumi-chan. I promise."

Conan knew he was laying it on a bit thick, but he figured it was worth it. It wasn't often that he could ruffle Ai's feathers and she seemed to be in a mischievous mood today, so why not?

He watched as Ai stopped in mid page turn and set her book down. She quietly got up and walked over to the tiny couple, her gaze never wavering or showing any sign of emotion. Inwardly, Conan started to wonder if he had just made a mistake.

Ayumi had just started to calm down when Haibara stopped in front of both of them.

Ai looked to Conan.

Ai then looked to Ayumi.

Ai looked back to Conan… and _smiled._

_'Ohhhhhhhhhh **shit**.' _

"Co-chan!" Ai suddenly squealed as a bright smile bloomed on her face, "Did you get my note? Oh I was so _embarrassed _when the teacher took it from you! All those PRIVATE THINGS I wrote about us! I was so scared, Co-chan!"

_'What? WHAT? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?' _Conan reeled back, a look of abject terror on his face. In all the horrors he had seen on a crime scene, none were more frightening than this.

"Ha…Haibara-san! What… What are you…C…Co-cha…? I…_WHAT THE?"_

Ai moved closer and before Conan knew what was happening, she hugged him tightly and said, in a loud, childish voice that made Conan's hair stand on end, "Co-chan! If any of those mean ole' boys try to make fun of you, you just tell me and I'll beat 'em up!"

Conan was still semi-speechless, his brain having stopped working several seconds ago.

As Ai stated to pull away she paused, looked Conan dead in the eye and whispered, "Told you I'd get you back, Kudo-kun."

And then she kissed him square on the cheek.

On the playground during recess.

It was like setting off a nuclear bomb.

All around, the children of Conan's elementary class began to cheer and chant the whimsical, mocking tune of "Conan's got a girrrrl friend!" Conan stood in shock and embarrassment as every child on the playground started to bellow so loud that the teachers had begun to move in to restore order.

"Bye! I'll see you later, Co-chan!" Ai called out as she ran to another part of the playground. Conan stared ahead in mute horror for several seconds trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. His thoughts were further derailed by Ayumi's sudden screaming.

"You… YOU… HOW _COULD _YOU, CONAN-KUN?" Ayumi's voice carried above the howling and caterwauls with all the fury of Hell behind it. What little blood was left in Conan's face drained completely as Ayumi ran off screaming and crying her eyes out.

"Wait! Ayumi-chan! I…um…wait a minute!"

While Conan was still trying to catch up with reality his brain, scrambled as it was, processed one very loud and clear message:

_You just made Ayumi-chan cry._

Conan's eyes, now the size of saucers, turned slowly to where the two other male members of the Detective Boys had been standing. They had since moved from their former spot and were now hovering dangerously close to the panic-stricken Conan. Genta was cracking his knuckles while Mitsuhiko was shaking in rage.

"You just made Ayumi-chan cry," Genta said through clenched teeth.

Mitsuhiko was nearly ready to explode with anger. "One just wasn't enough for you, was it! You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself you… you…Casanova!"

Again, Conan's brain chimed in through the chaos.

_You might want to run._

Ten minutes later, Conan was still running.

* * *

Ran was never what a person would call impressionable. She had never felt overly intimated by the wealth of her friend or the power that came with her last name, but there were times when Sonoko tended to make Ran feel… uncomfortable. Ran supposed it was a trait that Sonoko had learned from the gung-ho attitude of her mother and knew that it was just a part of her personality, not the whole package. Still, there were times when Sonoko's ideas could get a little… out there. 

"Ran, come on! It'll be fun, I promise! Besides, who will know?"

Ran fidgeted in her seat and said, "I really don't know, Sonoko-chan. That's… a little much, isn't it?"

They were sitting on the rain-soaked roof of their high school, doing their best to avoid the lunchtime crowd by going outside. The roof had pooled various shallow puddles as the rain water attempted to seep into the Astroturf and gravel that adorned the top of their school. Knowing that they wouldn't have found any dry place to sit, Ran and Sonoko had raided the food counter's napkin containers and now 33 wasted napkins later they sat on a small bench that still radiated a faint layer of wet and cold as they shared a cold bento.

Ran shifted in her school uniform unconsciously. She was a very strong and independent girl, but there were some things that Ran was still shy about. It was this shyness that many of the boys at her school had found attractive in a secretive, alluring way. She wasn't blind; she could see their stares and heard their whispers as she walked past, and she wasn't so modest as to say she didn't have certain… assets that other girls her age were still working on, but she honestly just didn't care. If that was all they could see, then they weren't half the man she was waiting for, and right now he was nothing more than a voice on a phone.

Sonoko lowered her gaze to Ran's blushing face and said, "Oh come on, Ran! How often do you get the chance to go skinny dipping at a private beach?"

Ran shifted in her seat again and tried to smile nervously. "But Sonoko, doesn't the press watch your beach from time to time? You…um…are pretty well known, you know. Besides, there'll be kids there!"

Sonoko shrugged and casually went about eating her bento. "Hey, maybe they'll get a little show then, eh?" She saw the horrified look on her friends face. "Oh Ran I'm kidding! You know I wouldn't really do that to you! Besides, I know you're too shy to actually try something like that."

"A lady tends to guard her dignity. Besides, it's not a hot spring. There could be people watching!" Ran defended herself while trying to cover her blush.

Sonoko nodded and said, "I know, I know. Trust me; that thought was the last thing on my mind."

Ran shot her a quick, skeptical glance and thought, '_so you say, but what if I had said yes? Sometimes I wonder who follows who when we end up doing stupid things.'_

Realizing the answer was probably 'both', Ran let it drop. They had been friends since they were toddlers, and Ran knew how capricious her friend's moods could be.

Ran bit into a roll and asked, "Sonoko? Not that I mind, in fact I think it's pretty sweet of you but, why did you invite everybody this weekend? It was just…well…"

"Doesn't seem like me?" Sonoko asked.

Blushing lightly with embarrassment, Ran nodded.

Sonoko continued to munch on a bit of sweetened egg and rice and smiled. This was just one of the many reasons Ran had always been her friend; she always spoke honestly and directly to her, and to the heir to an Aristocratic family and fortune, that was something more precious than gold.

Sonoko swallowed her food and said, "Honestly I want…well… Ran, this is going to sound silly, but…"

"What is it, Sonoko?"

Sonoko put down her chopsticks and put her hands in her lap. Ran saw some of her friend's Rich Girl demeanor slip away and some of her real friend start to shine through. "Ran, you remember when we were growing up? We never had…well… can you remember one time when we had a slumber party?"

"Sure," Ran started, "I remember we used to go to your place or mine all the time and…"

"That's just it!" Sonoko said, her voice now slightly remorseful, "I loved hanging out with you, but Ran… I never really had too many friends outside of you. All the times we got together, didn't you ever want more people? Like a real slumber party?"

Ran sighed and nodded, knowing her friends definition of a "real" slumber party was probably something she got from television. Still, she couldn't deny that it had been just them for quite a few years. Sure they had made friends with plenty of other girls, but the two of them had always been best friends, and that tended to get a bit exclusive after a while. As they got older, Ran had never had a problem branching out from this and meeting new people.

However, Sonoko had never really learned. Most of her "other" friends had been cold, shallow or after her as a trophy friend. They only saw the Suzuki name and fortune and not the teenage girl that stood before it.

"Ran, I want a slumber party. A big, honest, all-girl slumber party! I want to hold it with as many girlfriends as possible, and I want it to be with real, honest girls who actually care about things like that! I didn't want to invite people who were fake. I wanted my girlfriends, and honestly Ran, you four are the only ones I could think of.

"Sure we had parties with Ayako-chan, but it just wasn't the same. I always wanted to just hang out and party with people who, well… damnit, it's not the kind of thing I like to put into words."

Sonoko snickered and said halfway to herself, "I suppose that's kind of funny, isn't it? Me, a rich and powerful heiress can't even find four friends to come over for a fun evening without exhausting every honest female she knows."

Ran, knowing when her friend was putting on airs and when she was serious, scooted closer and placed a reassuring hand on Sonoko's now clenched fists.

"We are going to have a fantastic time, Sonoko. You've picked some good friends, and I know we'll have a blast. I haven't done something like this in years, and besides…"

"Besides?"

"Besides," Ran said, her voice turning deadly serious, "I need to get OUT of that apartment for a night! I love those two to deat, but…they're just such…such…!"

"Men?" Sonoko asked?

"YES!"

Both girls erupted into laughter. Ran noted that Sonoko's mood had already improved.

"So," Sonoko asked, "when will Kazuha get here?"

"She might already be here," Ran said between bites. "Her and Hattori-kun got today off from school for completing a semester project early."

Sonoko sighed and looked out over the rooftop view. "She's so lucky. There he is; a tall, muscular, intelligent man ready and waiting to stand by her. Always protecting her, always there…"

"Oh, stop it," Ran mock-pouted. She already knew where her friend was going. "Shinichi protects me in his own way. He's… my protector. He always has been."

Ran tried to kid, but her mind went back to the breakfast table and what had happened that morning. Just another clue in an endless series of clues that screamed he was closer than she dared to believe. Was she right? Was he actually there with her, or…?

Sonoko cast a sly smile at her friend. "I can see that, what with him always at your side."

Ran knew how to joke, but she also knew how far her friend could carry things. Ran could see this was starting to cross into Do Not Discuss territory and didn't want to spoil her good mood. Besides, Rans thoughts about the incident at breakfast had made her feel slightly uneasy about the subject of detectives.

Idly, Sonoko shrugged and said, "All I'm saying is that maybe you shouldn't limit yourself, that's all. He _is_ a good man, but there are others. I just don't want to see you be unhappy, that's all."

Ran primly took another bite from her bento and refused to answer. Sonoko saw the closed-off look on Ran's face and smirked again.

"Besides," she said coyly, "I saw you checking out Makoto-sans butt in PE."

Ran sputtered back to the conversation. "I did not!"

"Did too! You were drooling like it was a slab of beef! Not that I blame you…"

"Sonoko!" A now very red Ran pushed her laughing friend on the shoulder. "Would you stop? You're embarrassing me!"

Smiling, the two friends finished their lunch with some idle chatter and light fun poking, asking each others opinions about everything and nothing. It was what friends did when they were together.

* * *

_Still slightly earlier that day…_

_

* * *

_

Conan had not been surprised when the teacher had asked him to stay behind to straighten up the class room. Being the top pupil in your class had some advantages after all and one of them was receiving more lenient punishments for his wrong-doings. Besides, he was known for being the kid in class to stop something from happening, not for being the one to start it.

Ergo, instead of detention he received clean up duty, along with a note from his teacher. It read:

_You really should be more careful with your mail, Edogawa-san. The next time, someone might read it out loud._

"I knew it, it's a conspiracy." Conan muttered to himself darkly as he crumpled both his teacher's letter and Haibara's returned note in his tiny fist. Angrily, began straightening the rows of the classroom.

Normally he would have thought of himself as lacking proof concerning his theory about women, but this time, he _knew_ they had it in for himAfter the two-man lynching posse had given up chasing him around the playground, they left Conan leaning against a still-soaking jungle gym, panting for breath. Through the body heat-induced fog that was growing on his glasses, he saw the cause for his displeasure sitting on the swings about 30 feet ahead.

Haibara.

She was swinging lightly and talking…

To Ayumi.

_'Scratch that,' _his brain said, '_She's talking and LAUGHING with Ayumi.'_

Ayumi, who fifteen minutes ago had been ready to kill him over his…erm…infidelity with Haibara.

Conan supposed this was what other people might call 'funny'.

As if on cue, Ayumi noticed the panting form of Conan slowly making his way to where the girls were sitting. With a giggle, she pointed and Haibara looked over. Smiling, Ai waved.

_'Let's see…how well you…wave when…I break…your arms off…you bi…'_

"Conan-kun! Are you okay?" Ayumi's voice cut through his murder-haze and brought him back to reality.

"I'm…fine….Ayumi….chan." Conan panted out. Haibara stood and offered him a seat. He glanced at her face and read heavy amusement and sneakiness, but a hint of genuine concern was there, too. Grudgingly, he sat down as Ayumi started to giggle.

"I'm sorry Conan-kun. I…I didn't think they'd…chase you that long!" Ayumi couldn't hold in her laughter any more. She was practically doubling over with the giggles as she clutched her stomach. Beside her, Ai did her best to look stoic while covering her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry as well… Co-chan." And with that, both girls lost it.

Conan was furious and exhausted as he realized what had happened.

"You... you did all that on purpose, didn't you?"

Ayumi and Haibara both stopped laughing enough to nod a reply. Ayumi stopped laughing enough to compose herself and gave her best 'humph'.

"Well," Ayumi puffed, "that's what you get for trying to pry into women's secrets. And for calling Ai-kun immature. Annnd for…um…being a boy!"

Conan stared mutely as Ai joined in. "Sorry about that, but you _were_ getting a bit nosey. Besides, not everything is so vitally important that you need to stick your nose into other people's business."

Ayumi saw the look on Conan's face and shifted from looking angry to apologetic in the blink of an eye. Conan felt his resolve starting to crumble as Ayumi asked, "You're… not mad at us, are you Conan-kun? It was just a joke. I'm sorry if we hurt your feelings…"

Conan began to fidget as his anger seeped away. Ayumi had an amazing gift when it came to making him feel guilty, even when he was in the right. "No… No, Ayumi-chan. I'm not really mad. Out of breath and worn out, but not mad."

Ayumi grinned and hugged the tiny detective. "Good! Ai-kun said you'd understand!"

Conan flashed a look to Ai, who simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled her standard, elusive smile. "I guess I was just bored and got a little too curious, that's all," Conan said with a sigh.

As if on cue, the recess bell sounded, bringing an end to the afternoons activities. Ayumi, now satisfied that all was well in the world, nodded and started to walk off… and then paused. Suddenly her cheeks became very red as she looked from side to side. Once she was sure no one was watching, she leaned in and quickly kissed Conan on the cheek.

"See you in class…Co-chan." Ayumi giggled and ran off with a glance over her shoulder, her cheeks bright red with blush. Conan stood in temporary stillness as a light blush crept over his cheeks. Beside him, Haibara crossed her arms and sighed.

"And you're how much older than she is?"

Conan gave her a look and said, "Don't even joke. Ayumi may have a crush on me but I'm not stupid enough to return it. Besides, even if we are _physically_ the same age I'm still pretty sure I'd be breaking several laws."

Ai nodded and said, "True, but I on the other hand am about the right age…right size, too…"

Conan began to sweat again as Ai crept closer. At first he thought she was joking, but then he felt her arms snake around his. Suddenly there was a very close and very cozy Ai Haibara leaning in towards his face. As his mind started to reel with confusion and muddled horror for what felt like the thousandth time that day, Ai leaned near his ear and whispered, "that's twice I've gotten you today."

And with that she casually let his arm go and turned to head inside. As she wandered towards the doors of the school, Conan called out, "What the heck was that for!"

Conan rushed to catch up as Ai calmly answered without breaking her stride. "Just accept that there are some mysteries even you'll never be able to solve, Kudo-kun."

Before he could come up with a response they were already walking through the doors of the school, ready to start the remainder of their day.

The Detective Boys (which ironically enough were now nearly 50 girls) had all but forgotten the chasing incident during lunch and offered to wait for their pint-sized leader while he cleaned the classroom. Conan looked to the seemingly innocent faces of Genta and Mitsuhiko and suspected some peacemaking had been accomplished by Ai and Ayumi, but said nothing. Better to let sleeping dogs lie; besides he really didn't feel like dealing with any more head games.

The group (even Ai) had offered their help, but he reminded them that if they did stay they would be missing out on the Most Important Thing To Happen All Month, or in normal speak, the Kamen Rider Spectacular show in Beika Park. While their loyalty to their friend was high, their idol-worship had won out in the end and after some more reassurance from Conan, they had left him to his duties.

All of them, including Haibara.

_'That's kind of odd,'_ Conan thought to himself. _'Ai usually doesn't go for things like that, and I didn't think she had a ticket… unless she's decided to try to blend in more. That or she had something in the works back at the lab.'_

_'Then again, she probably just felt like leaving me to simmer. That girl has a vicious sense of humor sometimes.'_

While Conan knew who Ai was and while the two had become friends (even though she would be pressed to admit it), Conan still didn't know his compatriot as well as he did the other Detective Boys. Today's little episode of 'Let's Make Conan Squirm' had pretty well nailed that point home for him. He had stayed the night over at Genta's and Mitsuhiko's several times, and several times they had camped out or spent the night with Dr. Agasa as a group, but even during those outings he never heard that much from the always-quiet Ai-kun.

Her silence didn't bother him, it just upset him from time to time to know that right here was a friend who KNEW, and she was the hardest person in the world to open up to. Sometimes Conan wondered if she ever opened up to anybody, and that made him a bit nervous.

_'So which is the real Ai-kun? The pessimistic woman or the active child? She can open up to Ayumi just fine, but…ahh Hell. It's not worth picking my brain over.'_

He considered Ai a friend and knew she at least listed him as a comrade, but beyond that he was pretty well clueless as to the inner workings of her brain. Not that it was something he tried to pick often, but it was a mystery, and being who he was it was something that called to him.

Especially on days like today when there was nothing else to focus on.

_'I suppose it's what I get for being too nosey, but still… when she wants to, she can be a kid just like everybody else. I just wish she'd pick another target for her mischief.'_

Conan mulled over his thoughts as he began cleaning the chalk boards. Behind him, the school janitor quietly wheeled in and began stacking the chairs in order to clean the floors.

Conan noticed him and turned to say, "You don't have to do that, I've…"

"I've got it. It's Friday, let me help." The janitor replied.

The cleaning went quickly and in silence. Before long Conan had gathered up his book bag and headed for the school doors as the janitor pulled out his mop and began cleaning the floors. With a nod and a wave he said goodbye to the janitor as he passed, grateful for the extra help. The janitor (who never quite struck Conan as being a typical janitor) gave a short nod and tossed Conan a small packet. Conan nearly dropped the small package as the janitor did his best to cover up a grin.

"I figured you'd get too wrapped up in your thoughts again and forget."

Conan examined the small square of folded plastic with a cautious eye. After deciding it wasn't anything dangerous or overly important he nodded back and said "um…okay… Thanks. Take care, Hei-san!" Sometimes the janitor could be a little odd, but he never seemed to do any wrong by Conan, and he acted nice enough…

Running for the door, Conan tucked the small square in his coat pocket, figuring he could look at what it was later at home after he had caught up with the others. Knowing Hei-san, it was probably some new puzzle or game for the young detective to pass the time with.

All thoughts of that came to a screeching halt when Conan stepped outside and realized that why yes indeed, it had been raining all day. Freezing in step, he also remembered that he had left the umbrella Ran had set aside for him by the door that morning. With a defeated sigh Conan looked from the drizzle and gray outside to his own life and wondered which was mirroring which.

He also wondered how miserable he would be by the time he got home.

That's when Conan froze again. He suddenly remembered the conversation from earlier on in the coffee-free morning.

* * *

"Conan-Kun, will you be okay on your own tonight?" 

The drifting inquiry from the living room brought the young, pajama-clad detective out of his half-sleep eating trance. With more effort than he felt was needed, Conan turned his eyes away from the television at the end of the table to this new intruding sound.

"What?"

Ran walked through the archway between the kitchen-dining room and tiny living room to ask him again. Conan groggily noted that she was already dressed for school and looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair had been shown some extra attention and her eyes and face seemed to carry slightly more shine to them than normal. In her hands were two bags; one was her regular book bag while the other was a slightly larger tote bag that looked somewhat bulky with padding.

"I asked if you'll be okay on your own tonight, Conan-kun."

Still half-asleep, Conan mumbled between cereal bites, "Oh. I'll be okay. Have fun at Sonoko's. Your dad will manage fine with the leftovers you put in the fridge and I'm probably going to stay the night at Dr. Agasa's, but I haven't decided yet. Thanks for calling Mitsuhiko and Genta and asking their folks, but they're probably busy tonight."

Across the table, Mouri Kogoro wearily sat down in his light blue bathrobe and cracked his first beer of the day. A rumpled newspaper lay at an angle by his plate of toast and egg. Without looking up he said, "Humph. I'd be worried if Kazuha-san wasn't going to be there, but since this looks like an innocent slumber party I can't object. Call when you get there, Ran."

Ran started, and then stopped like a deer caught in headlights. "I'm going over to So… Conan-kun? Dad? How…how did you…?"

Without looking up or fully realizing that he was in deduction-mode, Conan calmly answered between his bites of cereal, "Your second bag is filled with clothes but your gym clothes are still at school. You've done your hair and makeup but you're not going out to see Shinichi-niichan, and you've got a giddy impatience about you that says you're off to do something you haven't in a while, and it's been over a month since you've spent any real time with Sonoko."

Ran stood stunned. "But that doesn't mean…"

Conan went on. "You've always slightly done yourself up whenever you've hung out with Sonoko out of self-consciousness due to her life style. It's nothing major, but it is noticeable from time to time. On top of that, since you just ran a load of laundry last night I'm guessing you washed your swimsuit and PJ's to get ready for this. They're tucked in your bag."

"How did you…?"

"Also," Conan continued, "you've been in the living room for over ten minutes. I couldn't hear you over the TV, but since that's where the phone is I'm guessing you've been talking to Sonoko and confirming everything for tonight. Then you called Mitsuhiko-kun and Genta-kun's parents to see if we could spend the night, but they're going to the Kamen Rider stage spectacular. I'd probably go with them, but the show is sold out. You done with the funnies, old man?"

Conan picked up the remote and turned off the TV behind the speechless Ran. The commercial blaring in the background about a Kamen Rider show in Beika Park was cut off abruptly as the gentle sound of morning thunder rumbled in the distance.

With a grunt, Mouri passed them over and Conan began to read. Seeing it was his turn, Mouri took over. "The green and black stripped shirt you borrowed the last time we were in Kyoto wasn't hanging on your door this morning. Also, you also have your omamori on underneath your shirt. I can see the loop of a necklace around the edge of your collar, but you normally don't wear jewelry. Logically, you're returning the shirt to Kazuha and wearing the charm she made out of respect. Boy, did I pass you the Sports in that?"

Conan shuffled through the small handful of paper he had received until he found the racing results. Silently, he pushed them back across the table.

Mouri grunted a thank you over the top of his beer can.

Ran just stared.

There were times when Ran was honestly impressed by her father's seemingly careless and offbeat way of deducing things. While she considered him a great detective, she was sometimes put off by his normal behavior of drinking, making a public nuisance out of himself and chasing after anything cute in a skirt. All this made Ran forget from time to time that Mouri Korogo was actually an extremely sharp individual and extremely good at deduction when he applied himeslf. Just because he tended to close himself off from other opinions and facts from time to time didn't mean that he wasn't capable of figuring things out. He _was_ a detective, after all.

Then there was Conan, who she had seen perform feats of deduction that even her father had stopped to comment on. His excuses about being helped by her father and his love of TV aside, sometimes they were feats that someone of his age just shouldn't have been able to perform.

As she stared at him, she realized that the only reason he hadn't slipped into his obligatory little-boy cover up at this point was that he was too tired to notice his slip up. Again the questions started to come… the ones she was scared that she already knew the answers to. Again she recalled all the obvious clues and signs that a person simply couldn't ignore even if they tried…

This chain of thought was broken when she realized what time it was.

"I've… got to get to school. Ku…Conan-kun, you be sure to have a good day at school, okay? I'll see you when I get home…"

No sooner did she say that did Conan scoot his chair out and shuffle over to give Ran a tired hug. "G'bye, Ran-neechan. I'll miss you."

Surprised, Ran knelt down and returned the hug to her young charge. There were times he acted very much like…someone else, and times he was more like a kid than even she could overlook. It was confusing and sometimes it hurt her to think about what the truth might actually be, but for the moment, he was her Conan-kun. That was what he wanted her to see, and that was what she needed him to affirm. With a smile, Ran tried to write the behavior off as just another quirk that made her housemate such a wonderful and special addition to her life.

"Dad, we'll be at Sonoko's…if…well…I guess you already knew that, so… bye!"

And with a hug and a smile, she was gone.

With a glance, each detective seemed to communicate across their makeshift breakfasts.

_Not bad, Runt. _The older detective seemed to say.

_Not bad yourself, Old Man. _The younger detective seemed to answer.

Silently, they finished their meals.

* * *

As he stood in the rain staring at the backlit letters painted on the windows of the agency, Conan weighed his options in his mind carefully. 

He considered going inside and spending his afternoon at the detective agency in the company of Mouri.

He considered spending the evening in the company of Dr. Agasa, who would undoubtedly get wrapped up in some strange, explosive experiment while Conan inevitably wandered off to watch TV or read his books. Again.

Conan then remembered that the liquor store down the street from the detective agency was having a sale, and that tonight there would be a televised concert of one Miss Yoko Okino.

Conan stopped considering.

As he took off his jacket in the Doctor's entranceway, his thoughts once again went back to the tiny girl who was not a girl, and how strangely she had seemed to click into his network of friends.

If anyone understood Ai, Conan thought, it would be Dr. Agasa. Somehow the two seemed to complement each other in a way that was quietly fitting and scarily comfortable at the same time. Considering the Doctor's eccentric behaviors and her withdrawn personality, it didn't seem right… and yet, there were no two people who seemed more at home around each other.

_'Hey, opposites compliment each other, I suppose,' _Conan thought as he busily shook his jacket clean. The small piece of plastic the janitor had given him earlier carelessly flying from his pocket and landing on the floor.

"Conan-kun! We were wondering when you'd arrive." Dr. Agasa walked into the entranceway with a towel and some slippers in one hand and a hot cup of cocoa in the other. Gratefully, Conan took the towel and dried off his hair and kicked off his shoes. Once he finished donning his indoor slippers he accepted the cup of cocoa, slightly dismayed that it was missing the required amount of caffeine he had been hoping for.

"Thanks Agasa-kun. Missed Ai-kun, didn't I? Oh well… Suppose it's best after today. I hope you and Hattori weren't kept waiting long."

"Not at all, my boy. Not…um… Kudo-kun, how did you know that Hattori was here?"

Conan sipped his cocoa and shrugged. "There's a motorcycle helmet sitting by the doorway. Also, these athletic sneakers in your entranceway don't particularly look like yours."

"I could have taken up a new hobby, and the shoes could have been mine," Agasa retorted.

"True," Conan said, "but then tell me: who is wearing the extra set of slippers? Ai-kun's are still at the door, but you had to fetch me a pair. Aren't there usually three sets out here?"

Agasa laughed and scratched the back of his head in slight, yet familiar, bemusement at the young detective's powers of deduction. "And you know that Ai-kun dislikes people messing with her slippers. One of her quirks, I suppose. Excellent deductions, Kudo-kun, but again, why should my visitor be Hattori-kun? Maybe someone else with a motorcycle or mo-ped stopped by?"

"Because," a thickly accented voice called out from behind Agasa, "Kudo already knows Kazuha is in town. If she's here, then chances are I'm here, too."

Conan nodded and smiled at the Great Detective of the West. "How've you been, Hattori?"

"Could be better. The rental bike I got doesn't do well in the rain."

Conan took a sip from his coca as he headed into the living room. "Not much you can do about it. I suppose it would be a little excessive to drive your machine all the way up here, wouldn't it?"

Hattori laughed, "yeah, not to mention expensive. 'Sides, Kazuha would kill me if she had to ride on a bike for that long."

Conan flashed a grin as he sat on what he considered his section of the couch. Hattori took a chair opposite while Dr. Agasa wandered in carrying Conan's coat. Conan looked around, half expecting another prank or uncomfortable teasing, but Agasa caught his young friend's glances and said, "Ai-kun is spending the night with Ayumi tonight. She said something about having a girl's night out and just took off."

'_So THAT'S what those notes were about! Mystery solved!'_

_'…'_

_'God, I'm bored.'_

Conan swore he could literally _feel_ his brain rotting with atrophy. If the highlight of his day was cracking the case of the mystery letter in his second grade English class, he knew things were looking pretty grim. That might change though… Hattori was here, and if Hattori was here, that meant…

With a shrug, Conan turned to his long time friend and said, "It's been months since you've come all the way up here, Hattori, and while I appreciate the visit, you usually don't come unless something is up."

Hattori just smiled.

"Let's see… you came on short notice and rented a bike, you're here instead of out enjoying the sites, which means…" Conan took another sip of his cocoa and noted Hattori's sly, almost anxious smile. "You've got something cooking, don't you, Hattori?"

Hattori chuckled and said, "Maybe I was just bored and decided to come by to visit? Maybe there wasn't anything interesting going on in Osaka or Kyoto at the moment."

Conan leveled his gaze at the taller detective and said, "If that were the case, you would have stopped off in Nagoya for the musical festival down in Naka-ward and saved yourself about 10,000 yen."

Grinning, Hattori nodded and reached into his coat. "Don't get me wrong; I like visiting you, Kudo, but the train ride here _is _kinda expensive."

"That, and you wouldn't rent a motorcycle for a two day trip to Tokyo unless you needed to go where the trains couldn't..."

"Good call, Kudo. Besides, I've never felt comfortable on those public trains. Too crowded."

"Then you shouldn't live in Japan," Conan snickered. Agasa brought Heiji his own cup of cocoa, which he accepted gratefully. Agasa had also been tipped off by Ran as to Conan's need to break his 'dangerous habit' and had acted accordingly. He still remembered how distraught the boy had been when Conan discovered there was nothing but juice, tea and cocoa in the doctor's kitchen.

"So, what's the real reason you're here?" Conan asked.

"Well… to keep an eye on Kazuha, for one…"

"And the other?"

Hattori flashed a grin, "I might need your help, Great Detective of the West."

Conan laughed, "Bring it, Great Detective of the East."

Gleefully Conan awaited whatever Hattori had lined up for him. Conan had been desperate for something, anything to come along (the detective agency had been miserably slow for the past two weeks), and suddenly here was Hattori with a problem so big he had to come to Tokyo personally just to deliver it.

Hattori dug through his coat until he emerged with a folded envelope and tossed it to Conan. The top had been sliced through effortlessly, leaving a near-perfect tear in the paper. Conan idly noted Hattori's abilities with anything edged hadn't diminished since they'd seen each other last.

"What's this?" Conan asked.

"Open it and see. This guy is more your department than mine, anyway."

Intrigued, Conan reached in and removed a small note written on lineless, light green paper. It read:

_For such a night one may labor/'Tis Rome-work, made to match_

_By Castellani's imitative craft_

_One in four for west we head_

_The farthest point of twinkling stead_

_Affluent and once removed_

_Now will have a different ruse_

_Through the glasses, colors change_

_A ball of fire, a tiny sage_

_The City lies, but in this case_

_A glistening of truth, embrace!_

_Before this party has begun_

_I invite you, one to one_

_To one_

_And one night, _

_Now the nights are short,_

_Then just two hours, and that is morn._

And underneath, a familiar caricature of a smiling face adorned in a top hat.

Conan looked to Hattori, who was still smiling the smile of a predator. "Kid."

Hattori nodded. "It was delivered about three days ago, right around the time Kazuha got a call from Sonoko-kun asking if she could come up this weekend for a sleepover.

"Has anyone else seen this?"

"Only you, me and the good doctor," Hattori answered. "I've already notified the police and Nakamori has already gotten his Task Force lined up to capture the Kid down in Nagoya."

Conan looked up. "Nagoya? Why is he down there? Am I missing something here, Hattori?"

"Do you remember seeing the advertisements from bout two months ago when there was a weekend music festival for that new eco-city project over at Oasis 21?" Conan nodded as Hattori continued. "Well, to follow up with that, Sony and Honda decided to sponsor a second musical festival to celebrate the start of summer. Same one you just mentioned, but what you didn't mention were the sponsors. Businesses from all over Naka-ward are getting involved, and one of the key attractions is the presentation of the Heaven's Eye, a ruby being presented around the world, on loan from a private aristocratic family in northern Honshu."

Conan nodded and remembered how Ran had considered taking a trip to Nagoya for the show. Mouri had wanted to go for the Sumo competition at the Nagoya Dome, but then a nasty double homicide had cropped up. By the time Conan had solved it, there wasn't enough time to see the festival.

"Kid never does anything without a reason," Conan said. "If he sent it to you and not Nakamori… hmmm…"

Hattori nodded and said, "I figured as much. Nakamori jumped on the obvious lead, but there's something about this that didn't sit well with me. By the time I figured out the first clue I was already on the train with Kazuha. Besides, if this note is right there isn't enough time to relocate the task force."

Conan looked up from the note. "Decided to spend the weekend with Kazuha instead of trying to catch the Kid, eh?"

Hattori snorted and looked away. "I promised her I'd see her this far. Besides, she'd probably get lost the second she set foot in Tokyo Station."

Conan grinned. "Business before pleasure, Hattori?"

"Bite me, Kudo."

Hattori sat back and silently watched as 'Conan-kun' slipped into full deduction mode. Both he and Agasa stared on as their tiny comrade studied the note for a good five minutes. After awhile Dr. Agasa left the two young sleuths to check the status of an experiment on the computer running in the corner of the living room. Fifteen minutes passed and still Conan stared relentlessly at the paper in his hands, his eyes darting over each word and going back again, hunting for something small to lock on to.

Suddenly, Conan's head shot up and with obvious anxiousness in his voice he asked, "Dr. Agasa, could I please see the newspaper?"

Agasa nodded and retrieved a copy of the day's news. Eagerly, Conan flipped through the sections looking for something he remembered from earlier that morning. Something…

Yes!

"What's the date?"

Hattori broke into a wide grin. "You caught that, too? Damn, Kudo… That clue took me a day and a half to figure out, and only after some heavy research. You're right, it's May 7th. Damn… How did you get that so fast?"

Conan grinned as his eyes flashed back to the paper. Normally the Kid's notes took way longer than this to crack, but normally they didn't relate to something Conan was already familiar with.

"The Kid always tells where, what and when in his notes. He's playing a game, and he's never deviated from those rules before."

Hattori stared Conan down. "Kudo, that clue took me nearly _two days_ to crack. I don't care how smart you are; that was extremely obscure. Tell me how you knew."

Conan flashed a slightly sheepish grin and said, "I've been doing some reading to catch up with Ran. I don't plan to be like this forever, you know." Conan gestured to his body.

Hattori nodded and said, "Let me guess; Ran is currently studying 19th Century English poetry?"

Conan nodded and added, "In fact, her teachers assigned her some fantastic Browning to read over Golden Week. Therefore, I've recently reread some Browning myself."

By now Dr. Agasa had wandered over to where Conan was sitting and looked over his shoulder at the mysterious note. "I'm afraid you've lost me, Kudo-kun. What does Ran's schoolwork have to do with this clue?"

"Why, it's elementary, my dear Agasa," Conan said, a look of triumph on his face. "Look here at the second and third lines. Notice how they're different from the rest of the note? That's because Kid is quoting here."

"Hmmm… it does seem different, but what is he quoting?"

"It's a verse from the first chapter of _The Ring and the Book_, by Robert Browning. It's a story about an Italian murder trial and the different views of a crime… kind of like _Rashomon._ Anyway, it serves as a double clue."

"Look here," Conan tilted note towards Agasa so that the doctor could see it clearly. "See this last line? He's quoting from another Browning poem here, a smaller one. That's to show us the real clue isn't the passage so much as the author himself."

Agasa nodded in bewilderment. "But why would he pick such a passage? Is it because of notoriety, or is there something else to it?"

Hattori chose this moment to step in. "Actually, the quotes are to serve as a clue as to the place as well as the time of the crime. The reference to days caught my attention right off, but it might have been tossed in to mess me up. Kid likes to use double meanings in his notes."

"Possibly," Conan said, "this first quote is from Browning's most famous work. This last line is from a short poem called _In Three Days._ Kid always likes to keep his targets guessing, but this is a pretty involved riddle, even for him. My guess is that Kid wanted to point out the day and time through these quotes. When did you receive this letter, Hattori?"

"I received this letter on the fourth."

"Which means that in three days time…would be tonight." Conan continued.

"And Robert Browning's birthday is May 7th." Hattori finished.

Both sat in silence for a minute, sharing a look they had many times before. A shared understanding and revelry in the fact that they had defeated a challenge and that they were still equal in terms of mental muscle. This had been a pretty obscure one, too. Why, they…

This moment of superiority was broken when Agasa asked, "So where is the crime taking place?"

And at this, both detectives gave a sigh.

"No idea," they said in unison, and both burst out laughing. As the boys laughed and relaxed, Agasa felt himself relax and was surprised; had he really been that tense since this had started? No, that wasn't it… Then why this feeling of nervousness and anxiety? Then he realized what it was; it was the first time he had heard Kudo laugh in days.

Dr. Agasa would be the first to admit that while he was well beyond the level of many geniuses, there were simply some things he had problems with. Deductions were one of those key things. He often fancied himself as a Dr. Watson to Shinichi whenever the boy got seriously wrapped up in a case… but even Dr. Watson had picked up on a clue or two.

It didn't take much in terms of mental reasoning to know that Shinichi had been lonely. It had become increasingly obvious to Agasa with each passing day. Why else would he chose to come here afternoon after afternoon only to be politely put off by Ai and himself while they worked on their experiments? Granted, he and Shinichi were friends, but there was an age gap. More than that there was an interest gap that made the doctor wish for more than the occasional trickle of deductionary light to shine through his own tunnel vision. He sometimes felt like he just couldn't talk to Shinichi, and that's what made him upset the most.

As far as Dr. Agasa was concerned, Hattori Heiji was something Kudo needed more than any amount of coffee. He was a friend that Shinichi could genuinely relax around, and that meant that the doctor's long time friend was happy.

That, he figured, was worth more than any bauble the Kid could think of stealing.

* * *

The Diner had been Ran's idea. 

She felt a little guilty sneaking away after school like this, but it wasn't like the men in her life didn't know where she was going, was it? Besides, they could find plenty of ways to pass the time.

Well, Ran figured her father would mostly pass the time by getting drunk and passing out, but Conan was a bright boy. He'd figure something out.

Honestly, Conan and her dad had been part of the reason for agreeing to all this. She loved both of them, but every vacation, every outing, _every day_ was spent in their company, and as a woman Ran decided that love only went so far. There were times when you needed to surround yourself with the fairer sex, and that was her highest priority for the evening. No murders, no mysteries, no blaring TV's and fathers smelling of beer. No moping little boys quietly reading or leaving at odd hours to make her worry… tonight was for her, and through her, all the women of the world!

What had pushed her over the edge was how scarily comfortable her father and Conan seemed to feel about, well, being absolute slobs. While she did indeed love them both, they never picked up around the apartment. Ever. It drove her mad to play surrogate mother, wife, daughter AND housemaid, and she was about ready to pop.

Ran silently mused that maybe the behavior of men had been decided upon as part of a vast conspiracy to make women slowly go crazy.

As her mind wandered, the door to the diner opened and a slightly wet and nervous-looking Kazuha Toyama walked in.

"Kazuha-chan!" Ran called out affectionately to her friend. Instantly the petite Osaka girl brightened up and headed for Ran's table. Ran stood to hug her friend and instantly her feelings of frustration concerning her male housemates started to melt away.

The second she saw her friend, Kazuha visibly cheered up. "Ran-chan, it's been ages! You have no idea how long it took us to get here. We've been traveling all morning! I'm glad you picked a place I knew…this city is so large!"

While not a detective, Ran wasn't a dummy. In point of fact she was extremely bright. Living with detectives had also honed her deductive abilities to a point, and while not nearly as perceptive as her roomies, she tended to pick up on a few things.

"So, Heiji-kun give you a ride on his bike?"

Kazuha blushed slightly and said, "He didn't want me to ride the JR. Ahou! It's not like I don't know where I'm…how did you know I rode on his bike, Ran-chan?"

Ran meekly pointed to her hair and said, "Um, you've got helmet-hair, Kazuha-chan."

Kazuha's face instantly went red as her hands went to the top of her head to fix her hair. "That…that…Ohh! He KNEW I'd mess my hair up on that dumb bike of his. It always happens! I bet he made me ride on purpose just so that he could make fun of me later!"

Ran smiled as her friend fixed her hair. Never mind that Kazuha had ridden on Heiji's bike countless times, and never mind that he never seemed to care what her hair looked like. Ran never saw any disapproval from Heiji over how Kazuha looked, but she did notice his occasional blushes when she wasn't looking.

"So," Ran started, trying to change the subject, "I know this was short notice, but thank you so much for coming! I've missed you, and we needed a girl's night out."

Kazuha shot Ran a glance and said, "Don't thank me; Sonoko was the one who asked me to come, remember? I didn't even know you were planning all this until she called me."

Ran nodded and said, "I know. She's the one who told me about it at first, too."

"Oh," Kazuha felt herself flush slightly with embarrassment. She never meant to come off sounding short to Ran, but her jealousy over Ran's beauty and personality tended to get at Kazuha from time to time. Despite that, Ran always seemed to meet her with patience and caring. Kazuha couldn't think of another person in her life that had met her with more kindness and sincerity than the woman before her. Not to mention her limitless patience.

'_Must come from living with two guys, I suppose. Speaking of which…'_

"So how's your little guardian angel these days? Is he still following you everywhere you go?" Kazuha asked.

Ran blushed slightly as the morning's conversation flashed through her thoughts. "He's… occupied for the night. I… he's fine, Kazuha-chan, just fine. So… are you excited about tonight?"

"Are you kidding?" I haven't been to a sleepover in ages! This is going to be a blast!" Kazuha said.

Ran grinned and said, "I know! Sonoko has been practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. Tonight is going to be wonderful! A night just for us!"

"Where is Sonoko, anyway?" Kazuha asked, "I thought she would be here with you…"

"Oh," Ran started as she stirred her coffee, "she's currently primping. Seems a certain junior with a 'cute butt' walked in several minutes ago and she wanted to make a good impression."

Kazuha grinned and sat down across from Ran as Sonoko emerged from the W.C. at the end of the diner and did her best to look aloof. At the end of the counter sat a hunched over young man in a Beika school uniform reading a text and sipping a cup of steaming coffee.

"Good afternoon, Makoto-san," Sonoko said as she walked by. Ran and Kazuha both noticed a distinct increase in eye-batting from their friend.

"Mmmm," mumbled Makoto as he set his coffee down and took a bite from a cold sandwich that had apparently been sitting in front of him for quite a while. His eyes never left the page in front of him while Sonoko paused behind him.

"I don't recall seeing you here before, Makoto-san," Sonoko tried to spark some conversation again, her nervousness starting to show on her face.

"Maybe it's because you aren't that observant," Makoto offered, his eyes glued to his book.

Kazuha and Ran, already seeing where the conversation was headed, turned their attentions back to each other. "So, I notice you're Munchkin-free tonight! Does this mean we're finally going to have an outing for just us girls?" Kazuha asked excitedly.

Ran nervously smiled and said, "Um… well, yes and no. This _is_ an outing for just us girls, but, ah…"

The bell above the diner doors gave a familiar jingle as Ayumi and Ai walked through.

"…it will be decidedly _not _Munchkin-free."

Kazuha looked to the newest arrivals, shrugged and then smiled in recognition. "You're Ayumi-chan, right? I remember you from when you visited us in Kyoto. And you're Ai-chan, right?"

Ayumi happily nodded while Ai raised her eyebrows slightly at being called 'Ai-chan'. Ran noticed this and mentioned politely, "Actually, I think she prefers being called Ai-kun, Kazuha-chan."

Kazuha studied the petite woman before her and knelt down so that she could look her in the eye. With a smile, Kazuha extended her hand and said, "In that case, let me say hello again, Ai-kun."

Ai smiled slightly and shook the 'older' woman's hand firmly. "A pleasure to see you again, Toyama-san."

Kazuha grinned and said, "You can call me Kazuha if you like, Ai-kun."

Ai allowed a small grin and said, "As you like, Kazuha-san."

Ran looked over the two girls and felt herself slip into Mother-Mode. While she was still a teenager and had no children of her own, living with Conan and watching over him and his interesting friends had nurtured some strong maternal instincts that until recently she honestly didn't know she had. Over time she had grown to love each of the children that her small companion called friend, and they in turn had come to see her as someone special in their lives.

With a critical eye, Ran examined each of them. Ayumi was dressed in her pink windbreaker and carrying a matching pink umbrella, which was covered in wrinkled cartoon hearts and stars. Over her shoulders was her backpack that looked to be bulging with clothes, and on her head was the special hair band that Ran had bought for her at Tropical Land. Her face was shining with a bright, toothy smile and her eyes were shining with excitement. Ran couldn't help but return her smile as she checked her over.

Ai was dressed conservatively and her face remained semi-passive, but Ran could see some mild excitement buried in her eyes, along with a bit of apprehension. Ran wondered to herself if this was the first time the young prodigy had ever been to a girl's slumber party before as she examined the bag on the young girls back.

Ai was wearing her dark gray coat with a new gray hat lined with pink (a gift from Ran during their trip to Tropical Land) and a collapsible umbrella underneath her arm. Her bag appeared to be packed neatly with bulges of clothes and what looked to Ran like books.

Ai noticed Ran performing her obligatory inspection and said, "I've packed all the needed clothes and toiletries for this trip, Mouri-san. There's no need to worry about me."

Ran smiled and nodded to the young scientist. "I trust you, Ai-kun. I'm just making sure for my own piece of mind. You both brought swim suits and tooth brushes?"

Both girls nodded.

"Good," said Ran, "if the weather clears up we can go swimming at the beach tomorrow. In the mean time we can go swimming in Sonoko-chan's indoor pool."

Ayumi's eyes bulged in their sockets. "Sonoko-chan has an indoor _pool_?"

Kazuha and Ran both smiled as Ran nodded yes.

"You insensitive JERK!"

All four girls looked across the Diner at a red-faced Sonoko as she angrily stormed her way over to where they were sitting. Behind her sat a confused-looking young man covered in coffee, his coffee cup perched upside-down on his head. As soon as Sonoko saw the latest arrivals, her mood instantly brightened.

"You're all here! Wonderful! Tonight is going to be loads of fun…and thankfully boy-free." Sonoko muttered darkly as she glanced at the coffee-covered boy behind her.

While Ayumi was practically hopping up and down with excitement, Ran made some space at the table for Sonoko to sit down. Sonoko looked to her companions and asked, "Is anyone hungry? We've got time for a snack before we get going. Just don't get too much or you'll spoil your dinner. We're having pizza tonight!"

Ayumi cheered and took a seat next to Ran while Ai quietly slid in next to Kazuha. Food was ordered, light conversation was shared and eventually, all five girls were ready to make the journey by train out to Sonoko's estate.

* * *

Despite the rather late delivery of the note, it had actually taken three weeks for the Kid to set up this particular job. 

He knew that Nakamori would get the clues in the note wrong, just like he knew that Hattori would choose to spend his weekend with Kazuha instead of at the task force stake out. He also knew that if Hattori was in Tokyo and figured out his riddle, he'd come for him, and Kudo wouldn't be far behind.

_'Hell, he'll probably lead the charge,'_ Kid mused to himself.

Granted, this last note was one of his more obscure, but if given to the right parties it shouldn't prove to be _too_ difficult. He has planned that, too.

There was very little that happened on a Kaito Kid heist that _wasn't_ planned out, but by the same token, the Kid always left room for improvisation. His outfits were ready, his gadgets checked and rechecked…all in all, everything seemed to be in perfect order. Now it was just a matter of getting things into place.

Kid sniggered to himself as he went over his checklist one last time. Of all the jobs that he had pulled, none had quite been like this. Truth be known, he wasn't exactly sure why this job in particular appealed to him, but for some reason… all those wonderful opponents in one place just seemed to sing to him, and besides, the Kid always retuned the loot from his heists. It wasn't like anyone was going to come out empty-handed.

He had been forced to go light on his dinner due to his mother's whims. Once their afternoon television programming had been interrupted by the latest news bulletin concerning the elusive phantom thief, his mother had calmly gotten up and headed for the kitchen to prepare his meal.

Kuroba Kaito was almost positive his mom knew what was going on. She wasn't a slouch, and her son's magical inclinations combined with his random disappearances had most likely not gone unnoticed. Still, she never said anything and he never revealed, at least, not in words.

There were other ways of saying someone knew something than by using words. For instance, Kaito reflected on his dinner of vegetable tempura and miso soup. His mom had prepared his favorite light meal for him tonight. It was a meal she only seemed to prepare whenever the news talked about an upcoming Kaito heist, and tonight was one of those times.

Then there were the newspapers he would find lying around, each one opened to a story about a recent heist or a particular jewelry collection on display.

Then there was the fact that despite never taking his uniform to the cleaners, there were times he would come home and enter his father's secret chamber to find his clothing pressed and cleaned.

The fact that the shelves of his father's secret lair had been mysteriously dusted on a regular basis didn't escape his attention, either.

Still, she never outright _said_ anything, and he never told. The most she would do on nights like this was to ask if he was going out, to which he'd say yes. Her reply to this was always the same, "Just be careful, mind your manners and be a gentleman and I'm sure things will turn out okay."

To the untrained eye, nothing about that exchange would seem abnormal in the slightest… Save for the white rose that would always be on the mantle by the door.

In point of fact, Kaito was pretty sure his mother knew _exactly_ what was going on. Because of this, Kaito considered his mom to be the coolest mother in the entire world.

Kaito whistled a small, broken tune as he headed out the door to catch a train. It was still mid-afternoon and he wanted to make sure he arrived at his destination on time. He had done the dishes from his early dinner right away, kissed his mother on the cheek, checked his supplies in his father's secret lair and headed out the door, mindful to take the mysterious white rose that constantly appeared every time he was ready to go. His mother could be heard in the next room mumbling something about never being able to find a vase, but Kaito, being a master showman, could recognize a cover when he heard one.

_'Moms are the best,' _Kaito thought as he headed down the street to the bus stop. Along the way he debated stopping by a certain inspectors home and visiting with a certain inspectors daughter, but time tables had been invented for a reason and he had to get going. He was just lucky that he had until later that night to get things into position. While he probably could skip school without anyone noticing, it wasn't exactly something he wanted to attempt.

_'At least not yet', _Kaito mused to himself.

That night he had a relatively simple task ahead of him that he promised to make insanely difficult… for the sheer fact that he could. He could have performed tonight's duties without anyone being the wiser, but where would the fun be in that? God didn't drop opportunities like this in your lap often, and Kaito wasn't about to let this one slide.

Kaito hefted the small yet heavy duffle bag on his shoulder up onto the bag rack of the bus as he settled in for his ride to the station. Through the vinyl of the sack, Kaito could feel the outline of some of his more…elaborate pieces of equipment. Soon he would be in place.

Soon… the show would begin.

* * *

Notes! 

This is my very first Detective Conan fic! Yay! I've been a fan of the show for years, but I've never tried my hand at actually writing a DC story until now. This story was inspired largely from reading the works of Ysabet, Icka! M. Chif and Becky Tailweaver, to name a few. There are tiny tributes throughout this story towards each author, but the most blatant is a cameo by Hei-san from _Second Wind _by Ysabet (she told me I could! Honest!). Hei-san just seemed to fit so nicely that I couldn't resist using him.

This story has been completed, but the latter half is still awaiting editing and correcting. It should be up as soon as it gets fixed. Also, I ran into some nasty formatting problems when I uploaded to , so this story doesn't quite look/feel the way I intended, but...ahh well.

A huge thank you to the pre-reader that was brave enough to step up to this project. SubDivided, I cannot thank you enough for your patience, observations and your nagging concerning my Midwestern accent. -hug- Seriously, you rock.

_Detective Conan_ and its characters are the property of Gosho Aoyama.

_The Ring and the Book_ and _In Three Days_ are the works of Robert Browning.

_The Wizard of Oz_ and the Cowardly Lion are the works of L. Frank Baum.

This is an original work of fiction that is being written for entertainment purposes only. No profit is to be made through posting or distribution of this work.

Any and all CnC should be directed towards BGlanders at aol . com.

"If there's only one truth, then why does the show have two titles?"


	2. Swinging Moods and Swimming Pools

The Case of the Girl's Night Out!

Part Two:  Swinging Moods and Swimming Pools

A Detective Conan fic by BGlanders

-----

After finishing up their lunches, the girls rode the JR to Tokyo Station, and from there caught the 4:15 Hikari line heading north for Sonoko's summer home.  While Sonoko had picked up the bill, they had to ride in the non-reserve section, which meant they were slightly scattered until the train could drop off several passengers.  Currently, Sonoko, Kazuha and Ayumi were sitting in one cluster of seats while across the isle, Ran and Ai were squeezed in.

Ran had been scared that Kazuha would feel put out by the two younger ladies traveling with them, but to her surprise Kazuha and Sonoko both seemed to be pretty engrossed in talking to Ayumi  The little girl was very open to conversation and her friendly, outgoing nature reminded Kazuha of Ran's personality. 

Sonoko was long familiar with Ayumi from having to baby-sit along with Ran, but that didn't mean she was tired of the girl or disliked her.  On the contrary, Sonoko found Ayumi's constant happiness and innocence to be strangely addictive to be around.  It was one of the reasons she had invited the young girl in the first place.  That, and when she heard about how heart broken Ayumi had been over not being able to go to the Kamen Rider stage spectacular, she had decided to make it up to her small friend.

Ran knew Sonoko's reasons for inviting the girl and was glad that her friend was so considerate.  However…

Ran's eyes drifted to the quiet form sitting beside her and silently worried to herself.  She knew that Sonoko had been hesitant about asking Ai to come along, but Ayumi had a way of making adults agree to things they normally wouldn't, and she was a master at making people feel guilty.  Idly Ran wondered if what she was seeing was just raw innocence or practiced conniving.  Knowing Ayumi, Ran was pretty sure it was just a massive case of the former.

Still, that didn't change the fact that one member of their party seemed decidedly out of place.

She knew Ai was a good kid, and through talking with Dr. Agasa she knew Ai had come from a troubled background, but Ran had never really understood why she felt so put off by the little girl.  Ai was polite enough, but there were times when Ran would catch her gaze and feel cold, almost as if Ai was looking through her with…anger?  Hostility?  Ran wasn't sure.  She honestly liked the girl and knew that the other children adored her, but she still felt like there was a wall between the two of them that she just hadn't been able to break down.

_'Maybe I can change that today,'_ Ran thought to herself.

Ai had sat quietly for most of the ride, seemingly content to watch the scenery as the train rolled on.  Ran watched her out of the corner of her eye and debated with herself for at least ten minutes before scooting closer to the quiet woman-child and tapping her on the shoulder.

"Ai-kun?  Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ai blinked and looked away from the window to Ran's smiling, hesitant face.  After a moment, Ai said, "what would you like to talk about, Mouri-san?"

Ran shifted in her seat, unsure of how to broach the subject.  Finally she decided on using the direct approach and said, "Ai-kun, I get the feeling that you're not very comfortable around me."

Ai looked at Ran passively and continued to ride in silence.

"I don't want to make you feel like that, Ai-kun.  I don't know if I've done something to offend you or make you feel uncomfortable, but…"

"You have never offended me or done anything to cause me harm, Mouri-san.  You have no need for worry."

Ran nodded but still felt that cold expression boring into her.  Undaunted, she continued. "I'd like to get to know you better, if you're okay with it.  Maybe we could even be friends, if you like."

Ai studied the woman next to her and pondered her words.

_'If you only knew the reason I have to force myself to look at you sometimes,' _Ai thought to herself, _'True, you've never done anything to directly offend me, but… Would you look at me with such caring and kindness if you knew the reasons I disliked you?  If you knew why your very existence makes me feel so…uncomfortable?'_

Ai looked into Ran's eyes and realized, _'Yes, you probably would.'_

_'Sigh'_

_'Fine.'___

"Mor… Ran-san, I just don't feel comfortable around… older girls." Ai finally answered.  It wasn't a complete lie; Ai really didn't feel comfortable around the girls.  Or the boys.  Frankly Ai didn't like to be around much of anyone if she could help it.

Ran visibly relaxed as soon as Ai answered.  Bemusedly Ai thought that Ran must be as uncomfortable as she herself was, but the woman was trying, and Ai couldn't fault her for that. 

"Is it because of your family?"

Ai instantly tensed up and shot Ran a look so cold Ran felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Please don't be mad," Ran said, "but… I asked Dr. Agasa once about your family.  He said that you didn't really have any outside of him, but that you used to have a…"

"My family is none of your concern, Mouri-san.  I would thank you to stop prying into my personal affairs." Ai bit out coldly.  Ran flinched as the young girl scooted away and resumed looking out the window.

Ran sighed and reached into her pocket.  She brought out two small, woven bands of golden thread.  Still smiling despite the hurt she felt from Ai's attitude, Ran gently offered Ai one of the two bands.  Ai looked over with a slightly curious glare.

"I'm sorry, Ai-kun.  I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.  When I was very little, my parents were separated and my mother went away.  I know how hard it is to lose someone you love, especially when the reason they're gone is…pointless."

Haibara's eyes dropped to her lap as Ran continued.

"That's all Agasa told me.  He said you had a family, but they were taken from you and that the reason was pointless.  I know I can't understand what it is to lose someone on that level, but… Ai-kun, I've never had a sister,"

Ran saw Ai visibly tense, her jaw tightening.  Ran thought the girl was going to turn and snap at her or start yelling, but she kept silent.  Ran continued, "I don't know what you're going through, but I _do_ know it's hard to hold that all inside.  I meant what I said, Ai-kun.  I want to be your friend, if you'll let me." 

Ran offered the band of fabric to Ai, who after pausing, reached up and quietly accepted it.  Upon examining it, Ai saw the words BEST FRIENDS woven into the side in bright red letters.

"It's a friendship bracelet," Ran said, "I made one for Sonoko when I was your age.  When you wear it, you know that your friend is there for you and thinking of you, even if they're not around.  I made this one for you.  This one," Ran held up her wrist which now also had a yellow band with the words BEST FRIENDS woven on the side, except in blue, "is mine.  I'll wear it so that I'm always thinking about you, even if I can't be there.  Is that okay, Ai-kun?"

Ai turned the bracelet over and over in her hands, letting the fabric rub against her fingers as she mutely stared at the handmade gift that Ran had given her.

Ran, the woman she honestly did not hate.

Ran, the woman that she couldn't help but avoid.

Ran, who made her see everything she hated about herself without even trying.

Ai looked across the train car to Ayumi and watched her for a moment as she adamantly told Kazuha and Sonoko about the fantastic adventures of Kamen Rider.  Ai watched the three of them go back and forth concerning super heroes as her vision started to blur.

_'That little girl over there barely knew me several months ago, but to her, I'm like a… a sister.'_

_'And this woman to my right… she honestly cares about me.  She doesn't expect anything in return, she just…cares.  How long has it been since someone has simply cared?'_

Ai felt something hot run down her cheeks and land on her clenched fists.  The BEST FRIENDS bracelet twisted in her grasp as her tiny frame started to shake.

_'Ayumi cares.  Ayumi really does care.  So do Genta and Mitsuhiko.  They're just children but they really, honestly care about me… so does Agasa… so does Kudo-kun… Oh God, so does this woman beside me.'_

Ai sniffled and shut her eyes tightly in an effort to not cry, her body starting to convulse with silent sobs.

_'You're not supposed to make me feel like this.  You're not supposed to care about me!  Damnit, I don't deserve your caring!  Why can't you see that?  Why do you have to remind me of things I don't want to remember?  I'm not…I don't want this!  I hate you!  I HATE YOU!  CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?  I HATE YOU!'_

"Ai-kun?" Ran hesitantly asked as she touched the young girls shoulder.  At that moment, Ai suddenly drew in a shaky, sobbing breath and let her tears finally spill out.  Instantly Ran drew her up into her arms and rocked the sobbing girl back and forth slowly. 

It was only later that Ai realized her own arms had tightly clung to Ran's neck as she desperately sobbed into the taller girl's shoulder.

Ran returned her hug and held her until the tiny girl had run out of tears.  She continued to hold her while Ai simply clung to her, not moving or saying a word.  Silently, Ran stroked the tiny girl's hair as she nestled her head gently atop that of her charge.  Ai just continued to breathe, her face still buried in Ran's shoulder.

_'I hate this.'_

Ai didn't know how long it had been.  She didn't know how long she had cried, or at what point she had stopped.  She didn't notice Ayumi coming over and asking Ran if she was okay, nor did she feel Ran gently shaking her head 'yes'.  Ai couldn't tell how long she just sat there, buried in that shoulder, quietly breathing and giving off the occasional sniffle.  Her eyes felt hot and puffy, and the lower part of her face felt sticky with snot and tears.

_'How long has it been since I just cried?'_ Ai thought to herself.

After a while, Ai finally pulled herself slowly away from the woman she did not like but honestly did not hate.  She did not say a word as Ran offered her a Kleenex and only lightly sniffled as she handed it back.  She did not meet Ayumi's gaze as her concerned friend sat across from her, her eyes large with worry.

Ai just sat there with her head down and her hands in her lap.  She was so quiet that Ran thought she had gone to sleep until she heard her softly say,

"Thank you."

Ran looked down at Ai's hands and saw the friendship bracelet tied firmly around her right wrist.

_'If you knew, you'd still love me just as much.'_

_'You'd still be my friend.'_

_'My friend.'___

"Ai-kun?"

Ai looked up into the worried gaze of Ayumi, who was now standing in front of her.  "Are you all right, Ai-kun?  Did you have a bad dream?"

Ai looked into her friends eyes and smiled.

_'My friends.'___

_'My…family?'_

"I think so, Ayumi-chan."

Ayumi leaned over and hugged the small scientist.  "It's okay, Ai-kun.  I have bad dreams on the train, too, but it's over now, see?"

Ai returned the small girls hug and smiled her first genuine smile all day.  "I suppose it is, Ayumi-chan.  I suppose it really is."

As Ran scooted quietly away so that Ayumi could take her place, Ai looked to Ran and then to Ayumi as a new and unnerving, yet strangely comfortable thought set in.

_'They aren't my sisters.  They aren't my family, but..."_

"Ai-kun!  Let's play cards!"

_'For now, they're close enough.'_

-----

"What was that all about?" Kazuha asked as Ran came across the isle to sit beside her friend.  Behind her, Ayumi had taken Ran's former seat and was currently trying to shuffle a deck of cards that she had pulled out of her coat pockets.

"Just a conversation between friends, that's all," Ran said.  From across the isle, Ai looked up and for a moment, Ran made eye contact with the tiny scientist.  While her expression was mute, for some reason Ran didn't feel the same cold, uneasy feeling she normally got when Ai stared at her.  In fact, it almost seemed… questioning?  Thankful?   If anything was there, it vanished in a heartbeat as she picked up her cards and began playing what looked like a slightly cramped game of Go Fish.

Kazuha shifted in her seat and looked out the windows of the train.  "So Sonoko, how far away do you live, anyway?"

"Actually, I live in the city but my mother owns a place up the coast.  That's where we're heading for the weekend.  My family likes its privacy, so the summer home is pretty secluded."

"Ah," Kazuha said as the view rolled on behind her.  "Must be nice, having all that money.  I'd like to live in a place like that."

Ran nodded and said, "It would be nice, but I think I'd miss my home in the city.  It's kinda of cramped and messy, and it smells like boys, but it's still home."

Kazuha stifled a laugh and said, "smells like boys?"

"Well, you try living with two males who can't seem to find the clothes hamper and tell me how fresh your place smells!" Ran shot back.

Sonoko let out a giggle.  "Smelly boys."

"Oh stop it!  I can't say anything around you!"

Kazuha laughed and said, "Ran, I understand completely.  Heiji-kun's room smells like a dead body is buried somewhere under his dirty clothes!"

"Considering how often our guys find dead bodies, I wouldn't be too surprised!"

Both women laughed as Sonoko, along with some nearby passengers, slowly scooted away out of nervousness.

"You both worry me.  You know that, right?"  Sonoko asked her laughing friends.  Ran just shoved Sonoko in the shoulder and stuck her tongue out.

"Is it bad that our sense of humor has been warped to this point?" Ran asked.

"Naw.  Besides, if they weren't I doubt we'd be able to deal with our guys," Kazuha answered.  "Speaking of which…"

"Before you ask, no, I haven't heard from him lately.  At least, I don't think I have…" 

Kazuha shot Ran a questioning glance as Ran stared off into space for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.  Before she could ask what Ran had meant, all three women heard Ayumi say, "Hey, do you wanna play cards with us?  The train's almost empty now so there's room if you want."

Ran instantly snapped out of her trance and looked to Sonoko and Kazuha.  "Wanna play?" she asked her friends.

Kazuha knew when to press an issue, and she knew from Ran's behavior that now probably wasn't the best time.  "Sure, why not?" 

Sonoko also knew that the Do Not Discuss topic probably shouldn't be broached again until some serious snackage, movies and the like had been partaken of.  Besides, this was a pajama conversation, and the Hikari probably wasn't the best place for it.  "I'm in!" She said.  All three women rose and joined the two girls who were scooting to make room.

"What are we playing?" Ran asked as Ai deftly shuffled the cards with the skill of a Vegas dealer.

"Texas high-hand, low spade splits for the kitty." Ai said without pausing in her shuffling.

The other women stared.

"Just kidding," Ai said with a slight smile.  "Actually, I was thinking about Rummy."

The girls gave a collective sigh of relief.  Ayumi asked, "Rummy… do you mean Gin?"

Ai nearly faltered in her shuffling and leveled a silent glare at Ayumi.

"No," Ai said as she began to deal, "I do not."

-----

They were greeted at the station by the Suzuki family's stretched Bentley.  Ayumi and Kazuha couldn't help but squeal with delight as the driver took their bags and patiently held the door for them.

"It's like being in a fairy tale!" Ayumi exclaimed.

"This is just too cool!  Sonoko really knows how to party, doesn't she, Ran-chan?"

Ran nervously giggled and said, "You could say that.  She's kind of going all out this time…"

Beside her, Ran heard Ai ask, "Is the transportation meant to make us accept her for something more than she is?"

Ran glanced down at her companion and said, "I think she just got a little carried away.  I know this might sound strange, but this is her first time having a large group of friends over to spend the night.  She's just excited, that's all."

Ai considered this for a moment and said, "Seems there are a lot of firsts happening today, Ran-san."

Ai calmly walked to the car as Ran, noticing what Ai had called her, watched with a smile.  "It seems there are indeed, Ai-kun."

The ride to the mansion was short but filled with twists and turns along a winding coastal road.  Upon arriving and seeing the massive mansion for the first time, both Kazuha and Ayumi gasped in awe at the sheer size of the property.  Even Ai raised an eyebrow at the massive structure that was more of a castle than a mansion. 

"Thanks, Uehara-san," Ran said to the driver.  He gave a slight bow and smile in return.

Ayumi was floored.  "I feel like a princess in a fairy tale, Sonoko-chan!  Your home is really beautiful!  This is SO _COOL!_"

Sonoko giggled and said, "I'm glad you approve, Ayumi-chan.  Thanks again for accepting my invitation!"

While the girls talked, Kazuha went ahead and started climbing the front steps of Sonoko's estate in wonder.  "This really is cool, Sonoko-chan, and nice of you to do.  We never get to hang out!"

"That's because you live too far away, Kazuha-chan!"  Sonoko teased.

"Mou, you're the one who lives too far away!  You need to get away from all this and experience some real living down in Osaka!"

Sonoko laughed as Ran and Ai made their way up the front steps to where the two women were talking.  "So, what's the plan, Sonoko-chan?"

"Well," Sonoko started, "first I figured I'd flaunt a bit and show you around."

"Sounds honest enough," Ai commented.

Sonoko continued, "Then I figured we could go swimming in the pool since the weather isn't cooperating," she gestured to the dark clouds overhead.  "After that I thought we could cook some American-style pizzas, watch some bad movies and stay up till dawn doing…sleepover things!"

"Hey, sounds good to me," Kazuha said.

"I'm in," Ai added.

"Sounds great!" Ayumi chimed in.

Ran grinned and grabbed her bags.  "Let's get started then!  We've got a girl's night ahead of us!"

Sonoko visibly brightened even more at her friend's approvals.  Smiling and laughing, the five young women headed into the mansion just as the rain started to come down in a fresh torrent.  The clouds overhead rumbled mildly with thunder as the door behind them closed.

-----

"Aww man, it's gonna rain!"

Mitsuhiko looked to the darkening sky above him as the Kamen Rider Spectacular played out before himself, Genta and about 200 other screaming kids on the Beika Park outdoor stage.  Idly he wondered it this was God's way of saying 'ha ha!' for getting his hopes up too high about wanting to see his hero in action.

Beside him, Genta shrugged as he bit into his snow cone.  "So what?  Kamen Rider can handle a little rain.  He's not going to let a storm get him down, you just wait and see!  GOOOOO, KAMEN RIDER!"

Mitsuhiko was still unconvinced, but smiled anyway.  "Hey, Genta-kun?  Do you think we shoulda waited for Conan-kun?  Maybe he wanted to come, too…"

"Naw," Genta said, wiping his face with his sleeve.  "If he wanted to come he'da come.  'Sides, he didn't have a ticket anyway."

"But, there are so many empty seats.  Would it have mattered?"  Mitsuhiko gestured to the sparse seating around him.  '_They probably stayed home because of the weather.  Aww well… their loss!'_

Again, the clouds opened up with a fresh torrent of rain for what felt like the millionth time that day.  As the rain came down heavy and hard, the actors were suddenly assaulted by crew members who were hurriedly trying to rush them off stage. 

"We're sorry folks, but due to the heavy rains we'll have to postpone until next weekend.  Come back then for a free, limited edition Kamen Rider gold foil card!  Thank you, and good night!"

Genta and Mitshuiko just stared.

"I guess even Kamen Rider doesn't like the rain," Mitsuhiko said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Genta said.

Defeated, both boys trudged home through the pouring storm, their dreams of watching their hero defeat costumed villainy in their park washed away like so much rain water.

-----

It was going on 7:00 PM when Hattori started to feel anxious.  By 7:15, he was getting nervous and slightly angry.  By 7:30, he was practically fuming.

"Come ON already!  How long does something like this take?!" He yelled.

"Easy, easy," Conan said, his voice showing signs of weary agitation, "I'm sure that…"

The sound of the door buzzer interrupted both their trains of thought.  Instantly, both boys scrambled for the door that Dr. Agasa was calmly opening.

"Hi!  Did you order 3 Sukiyaki dinner combos, three shrimp tempura combo meals and a quart of miso?"

The trio inside nodded, their eyes sparkling with hunger.

Five minutes later, Agasa's living room was a food-ridden war zone.  Boxes of steaming takeout were being devoured by three extremely hungry geniuses as Kid's riddle lay before them on the doctor's coffee table.

"Thank God," Heiji said between bites.  "I don't think I could have lasted another minute!  You never have to wait this long for delivery in Osaka, Kudo.  Now _there's_ a city that knows its food!"

"Yeah, if you have a craving for all things bland," Conan mumbled.

Agasa entered from the kitchen carrying an armful of bottles.  Gingerly he set them on the coffee table, mindful of the note lying undisturbed in the center.  Eagerly the boys reached for some Cokes to wash their dinner down.

"Thanks Doc," Heiji said as he polished off his bottle in three long swigs.

It had been an uneventful night.  They had done some research in the professor's newspaper library, combed the Internet, and had gone so far as to scour the television channels (this the professor called 'quality research'), but when they were finished they'd come up completely empty.  Conan and Heiji both were frustrated, but undaunted in their determination.  Nothing but nothing was going to stop them in their efforts.

Save for dinner, of course.

"So Doc," Hattori said, "How's come we had to order out?  Don't you keep any food around here?"

"Oh, sure," Agasa said as he swallowed a breaded piece of shrimp, "I've got plenty.  Now, ask me if I know how to cook!"

Conan shot the doctor a weary, sarcastic look, "Don't tell me; you've been making Ai cook all your meals?"

"She insisted!  She claimed it was her way of helping out around here."

Heiji snickered and said, "Smart girl like that, and she can cook?  Hmmm…"

Conan directed his glare towards Heiji.  "What are you getting at, Hattori?"

"Well, I was just thinking.  She's smart, quiet, self-sufficient, she can cook… and she _is_ your 'age'.  Don't tell me you haven't thought about it, Kudo."

Conan scoffed.  "Actually… no, I haven't.  Not seriously.  If I entertained that thought, I'd be consigning myself to staying like this, and I'm not the kind to just give up, Hattori.  Ai is a friend.  For that I've had to work long and hard, but she _is_ my _friend_.  Nothing more, got it?"

"Oh, but Heiji-kun has a point," Agasa joined in.  "After all, she does call out your name in her sleep from time to time."

"She…does not.  You're making it up." Conan scowled; a hint of red across his cheeks.

"Ohhh… really?  Tell me doc, what else does she say about him?"  Hattori was grinning ear to ear as the doctor started to smile.  Conan pretended to focus on the note as Agasa continued.

"Well, she does mention the things he's done in school… sometimes she talks about him over coffee… and in the lab… and when we're just sitting around… actually, she talks about him a lot, come to think of it."

Conan was really, really trying to not be interested in the world beyond that tricky note.

"What does she say?"  Hattori was practically falling off the edge of his seat, his grin threatening to tear his face in two.

"Well…"

Conan was _so_ not paying attention.

"Actually…"

Nope, not at all…

"She mostly makes note of his day to day condition.  He _is_ the only viable test subject for her antidote, after all."

Conan gagged on a piece of squash as Hattori started laughing.

"I hate you.  I hate you both."  The glare from behind those glasses could have melted lead.

-----

Ayumi had seen Phantom thieves, kidnappers, the better part of Japan, had stood atop sky scrapers, been inside the most advanced virtual reality machines on the planet and had been involved with countless adventures.

At the moment however, none of those things were as cool as what was before her.

"BONZAI!!!"  She yelled as she leapt for what had to have been the fifteenth time off of the diving board to Sonoko's private, indoor pool.

After getting their things inside and ordering from the cook, Sonoko had gotten down to business and suggested relaxing in her pool.  Ayumi and Kazuha were skeptical considering the weather, but then Sonoko took them to the back of her home.

There, Sonoko showed them the massive, kidney-shaped indoor pool and glass gazebo.  Along side the pool was a Jacuzzi and a door leading to a sauna.  While both were inviting, all the girls had decided that getting in the pool was their first priority.

Their journey had been interrupted only once, as Sonoko's mother stopped them on their way to the pool to inquire if the girls wanted anything to eat.

---

"Sure!" Sonoko happily said, "We were going to cook some pizzas and drink as much pop as we can!  I already told the cook… could you ask him to start?  We should be pretty hungry by the time we're done."

"Just be careful, dear."  Mrs. Suzuki said in her prim, dominant tone, "I don't want you and your friends cleaning us out of house and home."

"Mother, please!"  Sonoko laughed as her mother cracked a smile.  "By the way… how come you're so dressed up?"

Mrs. Suzuki smiled and said, "I had a charity dinner this evening in Nagoya that was cancelled on short notice.  I just haven't had time to change today, so I haven't even had time to put this away," Sonoko's mother gestured to the shining emerald pendant that adorned her left breast.

"Wow!  That's gorgeous, Suzuki-sama!"  Kazuha and Ran exclaimed.

"Isn't it?  It was supposed to be a part of the family collection on display, but since that's been postponed, I guess it will actually have to stay with real family members for a while.  Considering what it's gone through, I don't mind, of course…"

Ran nodded in understanding.  "That's the _Heaven's Eye_, isn't it?  Wasn't that almost stolen three weeks ago?"

Mrs. Suzuki nodded.  "Yes…almost.  The thieves got away, but fortunately they didn't get their hands on this.  Since then, I've kept it near my heart.  It's a trifle sentimental, but the press just eats it up.  Shall I have the maid bring down dessert, Sonoko-chan?"

"That would be wonderful, mother!  You're the best!" Sonoko said as she kissed her mother's cheek.

"Thank you very much, Suzuki-sama," The girls said. 

Mrs. Suzuki smiled.  "Don't worry about it, and it's good to see you again, Ran-chan."

With that, the master of the Suzuki fortune turned and headed off in the direction of the kitchen as the girls, two of them slightly awestruck, continued to make their way to the pool.

---

Ai cringed and tried to shield herself as her bright green inflatable tube drifted dangerously close to Ayumi's landing point.  Off to the side, Sonoko, Ran and Kazuha were floating on clear, inflatable one-person rafts.

Ayumi shot to the surface and gasped for breath.  Quickly, she splashed her way over to Ai's inner tube and grabbed on.  Ai made room for the panting, happy girl.

"Maybe you should take it easy, Ayumi-chan," Ai calmly said.  "Your blood pressure is already high and you haven't eaten since we boarded the train.  I'm concerned that…"

"Ai-kun, you've gotta try this!  This board is the greatest!  Come on!"

"But, I really thiGWA!"

Ai was cut off as Ayumi grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the far side of the pool.  As Ai tried to hang on for dear life, Ayumi towed her to the pool side and suddenly pushed the floatie so that it blocked their view of the other girls, creating a flimsy, yet semi-stationary barrier for the moment.

"Ayumi, what are you..?"

"Ai-kun," Ayumi asked, her voice and face suddenly taking on a serious tone.  Ai was muted by surprise as Ayumi continued.  "What happened on the train today?  Why were you crying?  Did something happen?"

Ai stared in surprise at the young girl and then smiled slightly as she relaxed.  "Nothing bad happened.  I just had a talk with Ran-san and… started to clear some things up, that's all."

Ayumi nodded, but the concerned look on her face didn't diminish.

"Something happened to make you sad, didn't it?"

Ai looked into Ayumi's determined stare and decided to buckle a little. 

"Yes, Ayumi-chan.  Something happened to make me sad.  I was… reminded of someone, that's all.  Someone from a long time ago."

Ayumi nodded in comprehension.  "You miss your sister."

Ai paled in shock at Ayumi's deduction.  "Wh…what?"

"I overheard some of what you said on the train, and I've picked up on some other things.  I saw a blurred photo at Agasa's once.  There was a lady who looked a lot like you, but she was older.  Was that your sister?"

Ai nodded slowly as her thoughts went back to that photo.  It was the only physical evidence she had that her sister even existed.  She could still remember how furious Conan had been when he found out she had gone to retrieve it.  That fight had resulted in them not talking for nearly a week.

"Yes, Ayumi… that was my sister."

"Oh… Um… Ai-kun?"

Ai noticed how uncomfortable her friend looked.  "Yes, Ayumi-chan?"

"Are you…mad that I talked about her?"

Ai slowly began to understand.  Ai realized that Ayumi must have thought she was furious with anyone brining the subject up.  Knowing that the girl meant no harm, she shook her head and smiled.

"Ayumi-chan, don't worry about it.  I'm fine.  In fact, I've had more fun today than I can ever remember having."

"Even more than the time we pantsed Conan at the Zoo?"

Ai remembered how red the young detective had turned, his hands too full with a hot dog and large drink to pull his shorts back up.

"Possibly," she answered.

Smiling, Ai climbed out of the pool and said, "So this diving board is the funnest thing in existence?"  With that, she took off at a light jog, mindful of the wet spots on the deck.

Laughing, Ayumi chased her to the board.

-----

It was going on 8:00 PM and Conan had resumed studying the note before him with a sense of mild urgency.  He wasn't quite sure when or where the Kid would strike, but what he had already figured out led him to think that he'd better hurry.

Beside him, Hattori finished off another Coke and asked, "So, any luck with the poem?  Are there more literary references?"

"Not sure, but…"  Conan continued to study the letter.  "The first clue refers to a poem about a crime committed over a ring.  Then there are these lines here, the ones about a city and glasses…"

"Rings?  This isn't going to be some cheesy _Lord of the Rings_ reference, is it?  I barely sat through that crap."

Conan balked.  "What's wrong with you?  I thought that was a pretty decent portrayal of the story.  Besides, the special effects were pretty good, too."

"Bah.  I prefer the classics.  If you're gonna go fantasy movies, let's go for the classics.  I'm talking _Jason and the Argonauts_ earlier.  Now there was a good movie!"

Conan snickered and said, "Yeah, but it wasn't nearly as good as Harryhausen's other works.  What about _The__ Golden Voyage of Sinbad?_  That was good, too."

At this point, Agasa cut in while sipping his tea.  "When you say 'classics' I truly think classics.  My favorite was always _The Wizard of Oz._  Now there was a classic fantasy story!  I still remember watching it and feeling amazed at what I was seeing."

Conan smiled… and then froze.  Understanding flashed through his head like a lightening bolt as the clues to the letter began to snap together.

Conan suddenly rose and went to the doctor's collection of books, kept neatly arranged on the far wall.  "Hattori, how much did your parents read to you as a kid?"

Hattori shrugged, "A lot, I guess.  Mostly I read on my own, though.  Why?  You notice something about that line?"

"Yeah… something strange… something… some…hmmm…"  Conan continued to hunt.  "There was an old storybook my mother had that I used to read when I was learning English.  The original Frank L. Baum version of _The Wizard of Oz_.  You know the story?"

Hattori nodded, "Yeah, I saw the movie like the Doc, but I never read the book.  Why?  Is there something special about it?"

Conan found the volume he was looking for and started flipping rapidly towards the back. 

"Maybe.  There's something about this clue that's bothering me, like it's something I should really be able to put my finger on, but it's just not clicking.  Something I heard recently…"

"In Oz… In the book about Oz, all the people of the emerald city were duped into believing everything they owned had been made of emeralds by wearing special glasses." 

Conan gestured to the note.  "The lines here about a ball of fire and a timid sage… the more I look at these the more they sound like descriptions of the Wizard, but why would...?"

Conan turned a page and froze.

Browning's quotes.  The Wizard of Oz.  A Ruse. 

He suddenly knew the where and when, and through those, the how…

More importantly, he knew the _who__._

He also knew why the note had been sent to Hattori and not the police.

And knowing all that, the rest of the riddle made perfect sense.

Conan half walked-half ran for the phone hanging in the Doctor's kitchen.  Hurriedly, he dialed the number for the Suzuki estate and prepared the dials on his bowtie for a conversation as Shinichi.  After several seconds of waiting, Conan was greeted with, "we're sorry, the number you have called…"

"Damnit!" Conan yelled as he slammed the phone down.  Heiji was already sliding on his shoes as Agasa asked, "what's wrong?"

"He's mad because the storm has knocked out the phone lines to the house."  Hattori answered.

Conan raced to the doorway as Agasa scratched his head.  "Then why not try her…"

"Cell phone?"  Conan answered.  "No point.  My signal is already weak and they're out in the country near the coast.  With this storm they won't have any signal.  In other words…"

"They're trapped."  Hattori finished as he reached for his helmet.

Agasa followed the boys outside as the rain started to come down in uneven sheets on the pavement.  Cursing, Hattori zipped up his jacket and hopped on his rental bike with Conan closely following.  Over the wind and rain, Agasa shouted, "Why do you need to call them?  Kudo-kun, what's wrong?"

Conan yelled back as Hattori revved the engine of his bike to life.  "It's the Kid!  He's there, now, with the girls at the Suzuki estate!"

Agasa stood dumbfounded as the two detectives raced off into the stormy night, the wind and rain now whipping his coat around his person.

-----

_'I'm **BORED.**'_

The job had been entirely too simple.  In fact, it was almost below his standards.  He was in and out before anyone even noticed he was finished, and frankly… he was disappointed.

_'Maybe they got held up in traffic?'_ He thought to himself.

Still, a job was a job, but to do it like this was just… beneath him somehow.  There was no challenge.  More than that, he just wasn't having any fun.

_'Try to do something nice for someone and this is what you get.  Ahh well… kinda figured this was the way it would go.'_  Kid mused as he unzipped the bag of tricks that he had brought especially for this particular job.  Grinning, he pulled out the necessary items that would be required to make the evening 'fun.'

Well, not as fun as one of his normal heists, but fun enough. 

While the anticipation of the chase was fantastic, the chase itself was always the highlight of the evening.  Whether it was done by a thousand screaming policemen or one pissed off, four-foot high detective, it was always worth it to get that surge of adrenaline.

And hey… if he could catch up on a little girl talk while he was at it, who was he to complain?

 The Kid had a saying for situations like this:

_In moments of uncertainty, improvisation is the only solid thing one may rely on._

After a final check of his makeup, the Kid snapped his compact closed, straightened his outfit and prepared for another of his dynamite performances.

-------

**NOTE**:  I fixed the Sonoko section.  My bad- it was from an earlier draft where she had already been waiting for the girls at the mansion and neither I nor my pre-reader caught the slipup.  Least, I don't think she caught it.  I sure didn't.

This is soooo going to be a three part story.  The first part was heavy on comedy and deduction, the second is mostly conversation, character plot and so forth and the third… ADVENTURE!  No foolin'.  There's a great chase awaiting you in part three, along with deductions!  Humor!  Resolution!  Answers!  And smelly boys!

Actually, the real reason for a break here is because we've got something really, really nifty planned out.  The original ending was a bit… weak, so we're adding a special twist that should rock your socks.  That should be available in about… I'd say one week.

Aside from the glaring misspelling of a character's name (heh heh, oops), there were some other grammatical changes I need to make to chapter one.  A cleaned-up version will be available soon.

You see this?  ----- 

I hate using -----.  I want to use my magical stars again.  Stories look so much cooler with stars.  Screw you, 

VERY special thanks to the best damn pre-reader anyone could ever ask for, SubDivided.  You, Madame, doth rock.

Thank you to the readers how sent words of encouragement and correction. They were very much appreciated.

Mariata:  No, I never got a letter, but I appreciate the thought. ;

Also, thank you again to Ysabet for her permission on a cameo.

Detective Conan is so obviously not owned by myself. All characters mentioned within this work are the property of Gosho Aoyama and is not meant for sale, financial reciprocation or commercial trade. This is a work of fiction.

Any and all comments, criticisms and what not should be directed towards This is my first Conan story and I'm still a bit rusty, so PLEASE, if there was something you didn't enjoy or thought could use work, let me know!


	3. Confrontation and Culmination

The Case of the Girl's Night Out!

Chapter 3: Confrontation and Culmination

A Detective Conan fic by BGlanders

-----

After a healthy amount of swimming, soaking and cleaning off, five young girls found themselves in Sonoko Suzuki's bedroom sitting atop a pile of pillows and blankets. Each was grabbing a napkin and clearing some space for their dinner as Sonoko's mother was heading for the door.

"Thanks mom!" Sonoko called out to the retreating female.

"Don't mention it dear. If you need anything else, just ask."

"Finally," Kazuha exclaimed, "we can eat! I thought we would never get around to dinner!"

"Sonoko-chan can take a little longer to get ready than the average person, can't she?" Ran teased.

"Mou! Stop it, both of you! So I took my time getting ready. It's not like you had to wait on me or anything." Sonoko mock-pouted as she reached for a slice of pizza.

Ayumi grinned as she pulled a particularly large slice from the tray in front of her. "I've never had homemade pizza before! This is so cool, Sonoko-chan!"

Kazuha laughed and took her own slice. "I agree with Ayumi. This has been a fantastic evening. To Sonoko and her amazing sleepover planning prowess!"

"Hear, hear!" Cried out the girls as they raised their cans of pop into the air. Sonoko was positively beaming.

"Really girls, it was nothing! I'm just glad you could all come over on such short notice. At first I was afraid it was just going to be Ran and me."

"And what's wrong with that?" Ran asked.

"I believe Suzuki-san was more focused towards having a large number of close acquaintances than just you, Ran-san," Haibara interjected while daintily wiping some tomato sauce from her chin.

"How is it that you're so smart, Ai-kun?" Sonoko asked over her piece of pizza.

Kazuha jumped in, "You _are_ pretty smart for a girl your age. Heiji-kun mentioned several times that you're just like Shinichi-kun."

Haibara paused in mid-bite.

"Ooohhh… Shinichi-kun. You mean Ran-chan's boyfriend?" Ayumi asked excitedly.

Ran momentarily gagged on her Coke, nearly spitting its contents over the pile of blankets in front of her. "Ayumi-chan, where'd you get an idea like that?" She asked, her cheeks turning red.

"Oh, come _on_ Ran, everyone knows you're head over heels for him. Quit trying to brush him off!" Sonoko chimed in.

"Even if he _is_ gone all the time, he's obviously got something about him to make you want to wait," Kazuha added.

"Ran-chan, please get with Shinichi-kun as soon as you possibly can," Ayumi said after swallowing her pop.

Ran stared at the little girl in confusion. "Ayumi-chan? Why? What's the rush?"

"Because soon you'll be an old maid!" Said Sonoko, her face covered in a wide grin.

"Would you stop!" Ran considered hitting her friend with a pillow before she calmed down. After all, she wasn't about to risk damaging the meal in front of them. "Now Ayumi-chan, why is it so important that I marry Shinichi-kun?"

Haibara took a swig from her drink and said, "whoever said anything about marriage, Ran-san?"

Ran turned redder as she realized her verbal slip.

"Well," Ayumi continued, "The sooner you're with Shinichi-kun, the sooner Conan-kun will stop chasing after you. And the sooner that happens… I don't want to be an old maid, Ran-chan!"

Kazuha and Sonoko doubled over with laughter while Ran sputtered with embarrassment and frustration. Hiabara, as always, seemed impassive.

Ran turned even redder. "Ayumi-chan…it's not nice to call someone an old maid, you know…"

"You're the one who called yourself an Old Maid, Ran-san. She was speaking strictly about herself," Ai commented.

Food be damned, Ran seriously considered whopping the young scientist with a pillow.

"Ayumi-chan," Ran asked, trying to remain undaunted, "why are you so worried about this now? You've got plenty of time for relationships in your life."

"But," Ayumi sniffled, "Conan just doesn't seem to notice me, no matter what I do. I thought detectives were supposed to notice everything. Can't he tell when a woman is showing him affection?"

Ran hugged the sniffing girl and shot the three sly looks she was receiving a wary glance. "Don't even start. Any of you."

Didn't say a word," two women and one woman-turned-child replied.

Kazuha shuffled closer across the blankets to pat Ayumi's head. "It's okay. At least he's not some stupid, reckless, unnoticing, ignorant jerk who can't even tell when…"

Kazuha stopped herself in mid-rant at Ran's warm, knowing smile.

"I keep telling you it's not like that, Ran-chan! Would you quit… Okay, okay, fine! Yes, he is attractive and yes, he is sweet…would you stop grinning? It's not like I'm majorly attracted to the bum…even if he is cute…but he's just so…I just…ALL OF YOU BETTER CUT IT OUT, RIGHT NOW!"

All four girls were staring and giggling as Kazuha turned a bright shade of red.

"So…Ai-kun?" Ayumi asked, seemingly recovered from her bout of depression, "who do _you_ like?"

"Pardon?" Ai asked, honestly surprised.

"It's not Conan-kun, is it? You told me once you didn't like him, but that was a long time ago. Do… do you have a crush on him?"

Sonoko and Ran shared a knowing glance and grinned, inching closer to the now very uncomfortable scientist. "Ai-kun, are you after my charge now, too?" Ran asked.

"Ran-san, he is merely my friend. Nothing more."

"Then why did you kiss him on the playground today?" Ayumi half accused.

Ai did her best to ignore the giggles coming from behind her but reddened slightly, despite herself. "I thought that was part of the plan to make him squirm. As I recall, you kissed him, too."

"You told me you were just going to give him a hug!" Ayumi yelled. Ai couldn't tell if her anger was real. "I _had_ to kiss him; otherwise he might have...well…"

Ai did her best to fight back a blush. "I was improvising. Besides, it was worth it to see the look of shock on his face."

"Is that the first time Conan's been kissed?" Sonoko asked Ran.

"I'm not sure, but at the rate this is going it definitely won't be the last." Ran answered.

"Little devil is just like Shinichi, isn't he?" Sonoko jokingly said.

Ran and Ai both shot Sonoko a quick glare, as if to say _'You have no idea.'_

Kazuha shifted over to Ran and asked in a demure voice, "So, how long did you wait before you just up and kissed Kudo-kun, Ran-chan?"

Ran pushed a laughing Kazuha into a pile of pillows and huffed. Then, with a serious look she put her hand over her heart while the other was held in the air. "Fine! If this is what it will take to get you all to stop teasing me, then this is what it will take. I, Mouri Ran, do hereby declare that yes indeed, I _do_ like Kudo Shinichi. I have a crush on him, I like him, I love him and after I beat the living Hell out of him when he gets back, I'm probably going to jump his damn bones! There, are you all happy?"

Sonoko clapped and cheered in wide-eyed surprise while Kazua raised her hand in the air in a victory sign.

"You GO, Ran-chan!" Sonoko cheered, "It's about time! Show that man what's up and take what's rightfully yours!"

Ran nodded, a feeling of satisfaction washing over her obvious embarrassment. With a sly grin she turned to Sonoko and pointed a nearby pillow at her friend. "Your turn," she said.

"What? What do you mean? Do you want me to declare my love for Shinichi-kun, too?"

A pillow to the face was Ran's only reply.

"Fine. Fine already! Yes, I do have a…thing for Heiji-kun, but… alright, I…urmmm… well… Damnit, you know…"

The others laughed and nodded while Ai quietly gathered up the plates and set them out of harm's way.

Kazuha, now quite red, turned to Sonoko and pointed accusingly. "Now it's YOUR turn, Sonoko-chan! I haven't heard a peep out of you concerning your feelings for anyone! If I'm going to be embarrassed, so are you!"

Sonoko shrugged and said, "What big declaration? I've been dating Makoto-kun for several months now. If you want, I could get all dramatic and hold my hand over my heart while saying that I like him."

Kazuha stuck her tongue out and swung her pillow at Sonoko, only to miss and hit Ayumi. Ayumi in turn, swung and hit Ai right upside the head.

The resulting pillow free-for-all took roughly ten minutes before it finally calmed down.

-----

Roughly ten minutes later, Ayumi asked, "So Ai-kun, you never did finish telling us who you liked…"

Ai panted and said, "What makes you think I like anyone?"

"Because you're always watching Conan-kun, and you and he always have grown-up conversations, and because you always seem to get his attention." Ayumi said.

Ai, who was lying on her back and likewise catching her breath, looked over at her young friend and said, "Honestly Ayumi-chan, I have no serious romantic interest in Kudo-kun. He's a friend and confidant, and I like to tease him once in a while when he gets too nosey, but I'm not trying to 'jump his bones' as Ran-san so eloquently put it."

Ayumi nodded with a smile and then asked between breaths, "What does 'jump his bones' mean anyway?"

Silence.

"That one is all you, Ran-san," Ai said calmly.

"Well, errm… it's…"

"Does it mean you're gonna tackle him and kiss him real hard?" Ayumi asked.

"YES. Yes it does. That is exactly what it means, Ayumi-chan." Ran said without looking up from where she was lying.

"To answer your question, Ayumi-chan, I suppose I don't 'like' anyone. That boy is interesting, and…yes, he can be attractive in his own way, but honestly I don't posses any strong feelings for him."

"Honestly?" Ayumi asked.

"Honestly." Ai said.

'_You're sure about that?'_ A small voice of doubt asked in Ai's head.

The women lay there in silence for a moment catching their breaths.

And as they lay there, yet another one of those endless clues clicked home for Ran.

"Ai-kun?" Ran asked. Ai looked over to Ran, who was now sitting up, a disturbed look on her face. "What… what did you just call him?"

Ai thought for a second… and froze.

'_Oh… OH.'_

'_Ooooohhhh **SHIT.** For all the times I've gotten on Kudo-kun for nearly exposing us I have to go and let something slip when I'm not paying attention. I suppose this is what I get for letting my guard down.'_

"What do you mean, Ran-san?" Ai asked.

Ran's voice carried a nervous waiver as she said, "You… you just called Conan…Kudo-kun."

"I was out of breath, Ran-san. I said Conan-kun, it just sounded wrong since I was gasping for air, that's all."

Ran's mind raced as tiny clues slowly started to paint a picture.

'_You are pretty smart for a girl your age. Heiji-kun mentioned several times that you're just like Shinichi-kun.'_

…_There were times when Ran would catch her gaze and feel cold, almost as if Ai was looking through her with…anger? Hostility?_

'_Honestly Ayumi-chan, I have no serious romantic interest in Kudo-kun.' _

Ran wasn't sure what her subconscious was trying to tell her, but it was past the point of ignoring.

"No, you didn't," Ran said, a look of knowing desperation starting to creep into her eyes. Her voice was trembling as Sonoko and Kazuha looked up from where they were lying. "I heard you. You said Ku…"

"Kid!"

"…What?" Ran and the others looked to the doorway of Sonoko's bedroom. Directly outside they could hear panicked yelling from some very familiar voices. Sonoko got up and went to open her door, but before she could see who was there, it was flung open. A soaked Hattori Heiji, a drenched Conan Edogawa and a very dry Mrs. Suzuki were standing in the doorway.

The girls' responses were instant, and slightly confusing.

"Conan-kun?"

"Heiji-kun?!"

"What the?"

"Ku…Conan?"

"Oh boy…"

Heiji cut them off with a wave of his hand. "No time for that now. You're all in danger!"

The girls looked at the two detectives. Both looked wind-worn and were still flushed from the road. Kazuha, seeing the urgency in Hattori's eyes, asked, "What do you mean, Heiji-kun?"

"The Kaito Kid… he's not in Nagoya tonight… he's here."

"You mean, here in this providence?" Sonoko asked nervously.

"No," Conan answered, "He's here, tonight in this very house!"

-----

A few hours earlier…

…_has issued a Tropical Storm warning for the eastern coast of Honshu. Winds are expected to reach speeds of 85 kilometers per hour and strong, slanting rain is expected. Residents are advised to stay off the roads and find shelter. This warning will be in effect until 6:00 AM._

The tiny figure on the back of the bike yelled out over the sound of the engine, "Shouldn't we be taking the train?"

Hattori laughed and yelled back, "And miss this great weather? Are you crazy?"

Hattori shrugged, an action that caused Conan to pale slightly.

"So what's the story, Kudo? What did you see in the note that I didn't?" Hattori asked.

They were riding north on the highway as the weather was rainy and came down lightly all around them, forcing Hattori to take it slower than he normally would have. While it was quicker than managing with the trains and buses, Conan wished his friend hadn't been so adamant about using his own transportation in weather like this.

Conan said, "The jewelry exhibit in Nagoya was supposed to feature an emerald broach called the _Heaven's Eye_. Kid was trying to get us to think green with his references to Oz. Also, that business about the western-most star? That was his astrology reference. He's talking about the little dipper. It's in the western hemisphere this month and will be directly over northern Honshu at 10:30 PM tonight."

Hattori nodded and passed a small sedan. "I guessed that much, but what about the rest?"

"The last time he stole from the Suzuki's, he impersonated Ran to get close to the jewel he was after. _Affluent and once removed/Now will have a different ruse_. He's got to be talking about the Suzuki family. He's making reference to the robbery he's already committed and…something else. I'm not sure about the last bit, but I think he'll try the disguise route again. He likes that one."

Hattori detected some bitterness in his young friend's voice but chose to ignore it. "You don't think he's knocked one of the girls out and taken her place, do you?"

Conan's hands tightened around Hattori's waist. "I don't know yet. We'll just have to see when we get there. He wants us there, so I doubt we'll get there after the fact."

"The one to one to one part of the riddle" Hattori stated.

"Him to you to me. He knew that you'd show this to me. He also knew that Mrs. Suzuki would be told to stay home by the police, and he knew both of us would head after him."

"Kudo," Hattori called over his shoulder, "If Kid knew like you say he did, then that means he knew I'd be in Tokyo, and if he's targeted Sonoko's mom that means that…"

"He either knew about the sleepover..."

"Or planned it in the first place," Hattori finished.

Hattori gunned his bike and raced northward, mindful of the rain but driving as quickly as his conscience would allow.

-----

The women looked at the two intruders, shocked at their sudden appearance and even more so at their claim. For a moment, the only thing anyone could do was to look back and forth amongst themselves before Sonoko nervously broke the silence.

"How can you be sure? Did… did he send a note?"

Hattori nodded and pulled the crumpled note from his coat pocket. "It was pretty obscure, but it definitely points to the Kid being here, tonight. Whatever he's planning, he wants to do it before sunrise, and according to what we found in this," he held up the note in his fist, "we have reason to believe he's impersonated one of you."

Ai calmly stood up and helped Ayumi to her feet. "Well, this should be quite a show, shouldn't it? I hope you don't mind if we move out of the way. After all, unless the Kid has figured out how to shrink himself down I don't believe Ayumi and I are suspects."

Ran watched the two girls scoot off to the side and thought to herself, _'Why did you use that name, Ai-kun? So many unanswered questions… and now he's here. Speak of the Devil and he'll come calling, but… I just wish I KNEW!'_

Conan's mind was racing as his eyes scanned the three supposed-women in front of him. Each of them were wearing pajamas that covered all but their feet, hands and head, and each of them were wearing identical expressions of fear, annoyance and concern.

'_Damnit, Kid is no slouch with his costuming, is he? This could be tricky. All three girls look as normal as can be. I know from the note that the target was Sonoko's mother and her gem, but who..? Ahhh… of course! The one person who could get close enough to Mrs. Suzuki without anyone being suspicious! The Kid is really…'_

"Kazuha!" Hattori exclaimed.

Conan nearly stumbled in surprise. "What?"

Hattori continued undaunted, that look of 'I just figured this whole thing out' shining in his eyes as he advanced. "I have to admit, the makeup and prosthetics are pretty good, but you made three mistakes!"

Kazuha balked in shock as Sonoko and Ran scooted away from their 'friend'. "Heiji-kun, what…what are you talking about?!"

Hattori snickered and continued, "First off, the Kazuha I know always wears her hair up in a pony tail. It's never down around her shoulders like you have it, secondly…"

"That's because we wen…"

"Secondly, the Kazuha I know would never go anywhere without wearing her onamori!"

"Hattori," Kazuha started again, I took it o…"

"And finally! I don't know where you learned about costuming, but you'd better study your subjects a little more next time! Kazuha's chest is at least one size larger than what you've got tucked under there, Kid!" Hattori pointed accusingly to drive the point home.

Stunned silence settled throughout the room.

"Um… Heiji-kun?" Ran timidly asked, "Are you familiar with an American product called the Wonder-Bra?"

Heiji froze in place, his eyes darting over to Ran. Based on his facial expression, Ai decided the matter needed further clarification.

"She stuffs, Hattori-kun."

Kazuha deadpanned to Hattori, a look of muddled rage and embarrassment on her face. "Heiji-kun. We all went swimming. My hair is down to dry, and my onamori is with my clothes. These are my pajamas."

"… Oh. Um…errrm…yes, I was aware. I was simply stating that to draw the real Kid out." Hattori coughed and held the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You JERK!!!" Kazuha screamed as Hattori flinched. "You'd better pray the Kid is here tonight, because you're gonna need some SERIOUS help in terms of escaping with your LIFE!"

Meanwhile, Conan had been watching the other girls.

'_Sorry Hattori, but not quite dead on. No, it's got to be That Person. She's the only one who could get close enough to the gem to steal it without raising any suspicion. Now…how to do this? I can't pull Hattori aside and let him know…damnit, if only I had thought of this before we barged in! Hmmmm…'_

Conan turned from the three women before him to the two young ladies to his right. "Ai, did you notice anything strange about the girls' actions tonight? Anything out of the ordinary?"

The group turned towards Haibara. "No, nothing out of the ordinary."

"What about a time when any of the girls would have been separated or out of your line of sight?" Hattori asked.

"Well," Ai thought for a second. "Sonoko _did_ take a long time to get changed. We were all waiting on her for at least five minutes."

The eyes of the room turned to Sonoko as Conan's grin widened. _'Gotcha,'_ he thought.

Sonoko started to back away as the others closed in on her. "Hey, wait a minute! I was just drying my hair! I didn't want it to be wet and ruin my PJ's! Ran, please!"

As all this played out before her, Ayumi studied every person in the room. Conan had been teaching all of the Detective Boys how to be better at finding things, deduction and logic. Even though they were still kids, they all picked up on his lessons from time to time, especially Ayumi. She had gone the extra mile to use the skills Conan had taught her, and now she was practically hopping up and down. She knew.

She knew exactly who the imposter was.

And Conan _didn't._

'_What should I do? Should I tell them, or… wait, what would Conan do? Hmmm... He would get all serious and point a lot, and then he'd embarrass the criminal in front of everyone, just like Mouri-san.'_

'…_I can do that!'_

Ran looked into her friend's eyes and faltered. She couldn't tell if this really was Sonoko or not, and now she was confused. "Hattori-kun, are you sure that…"

"Wait! Hold on a second, Ran-chan" Ayumi exclaimed. "I think I know who it is!"

"You do?" Ran asked.

"You do?" The boys exclaimed.

A pair of eyes nervously flashed to the young girl.

Ayumi nodded and walked out to the center of the room, the confidence practically oozing off of her. For a moment she wondered if she should try to feign sleep, but shook that idea off. She always thought it was kind of silly how Mouri-san always passed out when he was ready to reveal the criminal.

Striking a pose, Ayumi turned towards the two boys and pointed.

"Suzuki-sama, didn't you tell us that the maid would be brining the pizza down to us? Why did you do it yourself?"

Sonoko's mother looked like a deer caught in headlights. The detectives turned to face her and each noted that she was between themselves and the doorway.

"Ayumi-chan, I just thought it…it would be nice to do it myself. Can't rely on maids for everything you know, and I wanted to get in on some of the girl talk, as it were."

Ayumi smiled and leveled her gaze at the older woman. "Suzuki-sama, that's a beautiful gem you're wearing..."

"Why, thank you, Ayumi-chan."

"…but wasn't it on the _left_ side of your blouse before? To keep it closer to your heart?"

Mrs. Suzuki paled.

Ayumi continued, "Why would you take the time to switch it from one side of your blouse to another?"

Mrs. Suzuki glanced nervously from the little girl's stare to the other women in the room and their shocked expressions, to the two predatory glares before her.

"I…well… Oh Hell."

Mrs. Suzuki bolted from the room.

Without a word between them, both detectives sprinted off after their target, both surprised and a little humbled by the six year old girl behind them. Still, neither one was going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The echoing laughter that trailed down the hallway confirmed that the running figure in front of them was indeed the Kid.

The others watched nervously as the three sprinted off. Kazuha and Ran were both concerned for the boys, while Sonoko started to panic over the location of her mother. Leaning against the wall, Ai said, "You don't have to worry. Kid never harms his victims, and those two can more than handle themselves."

Ran glanced to the young girl and again her mind raced with questions. While she wanted desperately to grill the tiny scientist, her own worry was at the forefront of her thoughts.

'_Conan…Shinichi? Whoever you are, please…'_

'_Be careful.'_

-----

Hattori and Conan bolted down a long corridor of the Suzuki estate as their target suddenly turned right and headed up a staircase.

"Where does that stairway lead?" Hattori asked.

Conan thought as he ran and said, "I think…it leads to the third floor…Hattori, there's access to the roof up there!"

Hattori and Conan bolted up the stairs, Hattori narrowly avoiding a thrown wig as it sailed by his head.

"Looks like he's shedding," Conan commented.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they saw a long, unlit hallway with a giant set of glass doors at the end, leading to a balcony that overlooked the ocean view. A flash of lightening streaked across the glass of the doors, and through it, they could see the shape of a figure in a dress.

The two boys sprinted down the hall and nearly threw the glass doors off their hinges. A long arc of lightening and a crash of thunder gave atmosphere to the scene before them. There, balancing atop the railing of the balcony stood the Kaito Kid. His billowing cape fluttered almost violently in the wind as his grin and monocle seemed to flash with the lightening. For a moment Conan thought that even the weather itself must be bending its will to the phantom magician. The rain seemed to be beading against his pale white suit as it hit and rolled effortlessly off. The Kid's grin seemed to say that even the weather wasn't so bold as to rifle through the Kid's suit coat and clothes for fear of finding the magician's secrets.

Kid noticed their pause and took advantage of the silence like a master performer stealing a scene.

"Bravo, bravo detectives. Most of all, bravo to Ayumi-chan! She seems to be getting quite good, wouldn't you agree, Kudo-kun?"

"Why did you come here tonight?" Kudo asked, his Conan visage had nearly melted from his face, replaced by calculated rage. While deep down he knew that the Kid would probably never harm the girls, the fact that he was there and directly involving them was enough to nearly push Kudo over the edge.

The Kid shrugged and said, "I never like performing without an audience, and how could I pass up an audience like this one? The Great Detectives of the East and West rushing against time to save the women they care about from the Kid's unruly advances? I had to spice tonight up just a little. Tonight was enough of a minor job that I needed to make it interesting."

"Then why the note to the police?" Hattori asked. "Why send them to Nagoya in the first place?"

The Kid turned his grin towards the larger detective and said, "I directed them towards jewel thieves, Hattori-kun. No one but no one steals what's rightfully mine to take. Consider it a public service."

"What about here, tonight?" Kudo asked.

Kid tipped his hat and then leaped over the two detectives' heads, landing on the roof above and behind them. With a laugh and a whoop, he took off sprinting across the impossibly slick rooftop.

"Hattori! Toss me!" Kudo yelled.

Not bothering to argue, Hattori grabbed his friend and gave him a heave onto the roof. As Heiji tried to climb up himself, Kudo bolted after the thief, narrowly avoiding slipping as he dashed along the topmost edge of the Suzuki family estate's shingled roof.

The rain was coming down even harder now, and Kudo thought he could feel small pieces of hail stinging his cheeks, but he didn't care. The rain and dark were starting to obstruct his vision so he turned on his night vision glasses and honed in on the Kid, who had reached the opposite edge of this section of roof.

'_Thank God he picked a small section of house. If I had to chase him across the entire estate I'd probably slip and fall off'_ Conan thought.

The Kaito Kid turned and faced his favorite audience of one as the sideways rain whipped his cape around like a chained banshee. Shinichi practically had to cover his ears at the piercing, melodious laughter that drifted outward from the Kid's grinning mouth.

"Shouldn't you be wearing a poncho? It's awfully wet out here, little boy," the thief playfully called out to the soaked detective.

"What's your game, Kid?" Kudo called out above the roar of the wind. All traces of his Conan persona were lost as the wind stung his cheeks and eyes.

"My game? More like a gift! Tonight has been for you, detective! A relief to monotony, as it were!" said Kid.

"What are you talking about?" Kudo yelled back as he leaned down to activate his shoes.

"All of this could have been done with minimal flourish, but I just couldn't let my favorite rival go on being bored, now could I?"

And at that, Shinichi paused.

"Tonight's performance has been for your benefit, Kudo-kun! I knew that only you would be able to pick up on the clues I included. I knew that only you and your Osaka friend would have the tenacity, the absolute daring to chase me all the way here instead of calling the police, and I knew that this would be something you would welcome. Applaud me, Kudo-kun! I have achieved a grand theft this evening! I have taken your monotony and left you only with adventure!"

"What you've taken is a gem worth 10,000,000 yen! Dress it up anyway you want; you're still a thief, Kid!"

Kudo's hand crept towards his belt buckle.

"Again, you fail to see everything! I give you adventure and a priceless gem and this is how you repay me?"

"What are you talking about?" Kudo yelled over the rain.

"I had to have those robbers in Nagoya arrested, my tiny friend," Kid said calmly, "they were in fact _too_ good. Consider tonight a simple return…with a twist."

"Then consider this a twist, too!" Kudo screamed. His hand flashed to his belt buckle and activated the compact soccer ball stored there. In an instant, Kudo had his weapon of choice fully inflated and out in front of him, his charged shoe already pulled back for the shot.

As Conan launched the soccer ball straight for Kid's head, he thought he saw a moment of surprise flash across the thief's face. _'Got you! I finally got you! There's nowhere to go and you can't activate your glider in this weather! You're MINE, Kid!'_ Shinichi cheered to himself.

Hattori arrived just in time to see the Kid gracefully back flip out of the way, missing the soccer ball by millimeters.

Unfortunately, the Kid was out of roof.

"NO!" Kudo screamed as the Kaito Kid tumbled off the edge of the roof and out of sight. As he scrambled to the edge, Kudo saw a flash of white flicker up momentarily, like the wing of an angry gull.

Smiling, Shinichi glanced over the rain-soaked ledge and saw the Kid calmly hanging on by one hand. The dark and the rain made the drop beneath him too murky to see. Hattori joined him, and for a moment both detectives thought that the Kid was hanging over a bottomless pit.

"Give me your hand!" Hattori yelled, extending his arm to the Kid.

Kid just smiled back.

"Give me your hand or you'll die, damnit!" Hattori screamed. A crash of thunder boomed directly overhead as the rain seemed to increase in fury.

The Kid looked from one shocked face to the next and said, "I suggest checking the pantry before you go, gentlemen. Thank you both for an enjoyable evening!"

Kid reached into his suit coat and pulled out his card gun. Swinging his arm out towards the forest that shadowed the northern side of the mansion, he fired. A card with a long, glistening wire trailing out behind it shot forth and impaled itself into a nearby tree. Kudo and Hattori watched as the laughing thief slid effortlessly down the wire until the blackness of the forest seemed to envelop him, leaving no trace of himself behind, save for the micro-thin wire that was now attached to the roof.

Hattori made to follow when Kudo grabbed him by the arm. "Let him go, Hattori" he said. "Your fingers would be sliced off if you tried to follow. Besides, I think he's done here tonight."

Hattori considered the drop, the weather and the words of his comrade. Sighing and nodding, he turned back towards the way they had come.

-----

After the initial deluge of "are you all right?" and "are you hurt?" questions, Conan and Heiji told their side of the evening. They explained the note and how Heiji had solved it with Shinichi's help via the Internet. At this, Ran shot a sideways glance to Conan who grinned back sheepishly.

"But where's my mother?" Sonoko asked. "If Kid was impersonating my mother, then what happened to her?" A look of panic was rooted to Sonoko's face as the tears started to tumble down her cheeks.

"I think she might be in the pantry," Heiji said. "Kid told us to look there before he took off."

A trip downstairs confirmed this. Attached to the sleeping Mrs. Suzuki was her pendant and a note addressed to Sonoko. Sonoko took it, wiped away her tears and read:

_To my most beautiful fan,_

_Sonoko-chan, my apologies for interrupting your evening and impersonating your mother. Please believe me when I say that tonight was in no way meant to make you feel hurt or scared, and that your mother's belongings have been safely returned._

_My only regret is that I could not steal away your heart as well as the material prize I sought. May your friends and family keep you warm and safe tonight, and know that you shall not be pestered by Phantoms again this eve._

_Good night, sweet miss._

_KK_

Sonoko nearly melted on the spot.

"I guess he still remembers that magic club case," Conan mused.

"He is just so COOL!" Sonoko cried out as her mother groggily awoke form her rest.

Later on the boys were given dry clothing and a room, but after some quick conferring amongst the women, it was decided that they could join them. After all, even if they did crash their party, they _had_ traveled through a near-typhoon on a motorbike (for which Hattori earned a hard wallop from both Kazuha and Ran) to stop an international thief from crashing their party. That, they figured, was worth a slice of pizza and some dry clothes at the very least.

As they were making their way to the living room, the group paused as the front doorbell rang. Conan and Heiji looked to one another cautiously as Mrs. Suzuki tiredly went to answer it.

"I'm not too late, am I? Ran! Are you okay?"

The group stared in shock.

A rain-drenched Kudo Shinichi stood before them.

"Shinichi…? Ran asked hesitantly, glancing from the tiny boy at her side to the soaking wet detective in front of her. Once again, the tower of logic she had constructed came crashing down as he walked across the room and hugged Ran tightly.

"Thank God you're okay. I was worried I wouldn't get here in time!"

Surprised and blushing, Ran hugged him back… and then stiffened slightly.

'_This…this is...'_

Hattori opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Conan grabbed his arm and pulled him into the next room.

Hattori was practically spitting with rage. "What the HELL, Kudo?! You mean to tell me that bastard had the nerve to come _back_ here after all that? Why aren't we tackling him on the spot?"

Conan scowled and said, "He didn't come here to steal anything in the first place, Hattori. He was returning something someone else stole. You saw the gem on Sonoko's mom? That was the real _Heaven's Eye_. I'm guessing the thieves from three weeks ago actually _did_ steal it and Kid was just…well…putting it back."

"And you're just going to let him wander in and impersonate you like this?" Hattori hissed.

"What can we do? The only solid proof we have is that _I'M_ Kudo Shinichi, and I don't really feel like announcing that to a group. Besides, he probably realized that the storm was too heavy for him to travel in and he needed shelter. I suppose it only makes sense."

Hattori glared towards the doorway where 'Shinichi' was hurriedly dodging questions from a very concerned and angry Ran. He noted that Haibara was wandering over to where they were standing.

"First sign of trouble. FIRST SIGN and I'm tossing him in a cell so secure that no amount of magic in the WORLD will be able to free him," Hattori muttered.

"Excuse me boys," Ai commented as she approached, "but 'Kudo-kun' asked me to give you this note."

"He asked you?" Conan said skeptically.

"Well, he palmed it to me when no one was looking. Knowing the sender I took that to be a request." She handed the note over to Conan. It read:

_Sorry. The weather was WAY too bad for me to make the bus stop, and besides, you can use my appearance to strengthen your case. Don't worry; I won't get fresh with your woman. Thieves honor._

_Besides, that pizza looked way too good, and I'm starving._

_-Your loving Shinichi-neechan_

Conan growled to himself as 'Shinichi' shot him a helpless look from the doorway. Apparently the girls were fine with letting him stay the night, provided he bunked with the others. After a strained silence, Hattori said, "If it's alright with the runt here, it's alright with me."

Shinichi looked down to Conan with pleading eyes. Finally, Conan sighed and said, "I suppose that for tonight it's…okay."

"Great!" Sonoko said, "we've still got a pizza to finish and a movie to watch, and I'd rather not waste anymore time. Come on Shinichi-kun, let's get you out of those wet clothes. Ran, you wanna lend a hand?"

Ran started to sputter. "So…Sonoko!"

Kazuha jumped in, "Come to think of it, he does look awfully… wet, Ran-chan."

Ran was turning a lovely shade of red. "Would you stop?! I…"

"Ran-chan, weren't you going to jump Shinichi's bones?" Ayumi innocently asked.

Silence filled the room. Shinichi nervously grinned and chuckled as Conan and Hattori shot the imposter death glares. Ran was as red as a beet, and Sonoko and Kazuha were too busy laughing to help.

"Um…errm…Ayumi-chan, that's…" Ran tried to cover.

"I don't think this would be an appropriate time or place, Ran-san. After all, there _are_ children present." Ai added.

Ran and Conan both were red enough to light a room.

-----

The couch was large, but the entire party seemed to scrunch up nicely. Sonoko noted that Kazuha found her way next to Hattori, who, for lack of space, had resorted to putting his arm around his blushing childhood friend. Apparently she had either forgiven him for his costuming comment or had just plain forgotten.

"What? We're out of room here," he said, blushing slightly.

Conan had been slightly less fortunate. Ayumi had taken him by the hand and practically forced him to sit by her. Ran noted that Ai had chosen Conan's other side and all three were somewhat crammed in. Sheepishly grinning, she took the seat between Ai and Shinichi. Almost casually, Shinichi draped his arm protectively around Ran's shoulder.

The movie was an older comedy, and while they made jokes and made fun of the film throughout the first half, one by one they began to drift off as the film continued. As Conan was ready to pass out, he felt some nuzzling from his left. Turning his head, he noticed Ayumi's arm latched around his own and her head nestled on his shoulder. Her soft breathing confirmed she was asleep.

To his right he noted that Ai was also asleep, but instead of curling up on his shoulder, she had leaned over and fallen asleep on Ran's arm. Ran shifted so that her arm was around Ai and held the young girl close; making sure her tiny charge was comfortable.

"So Sonoko-chan," Ran quietly asked as the rest of the party slowly nodded off, "was this what you were expecting for your 'real' sleepover?"

Sonoko sleepily grinned at her best friend and snuggled down underneath a blanket she had draped over the occupants of the couch. "Not really, but I'm still happy. This has been a fun evening, and I'm grateful for it."

Ran looked over at the tiny, sleeping detective and considered everything that had happened throughout the day. After tossing so many unanswered questions over and over in her head, she noted that most of all she felt relieved that this little wonder to her left was safe, especially after traveling all the way here and chasing a phantom thief across a rain-soaked rooftop.

Once she was sure Conan was asleep, she gently nudged Ai off of her arm and onto Conan's other shoulder. Then she turned and quietly whispered to Shinichi, "Could we… talk in private? There's something I want to ask you."

Shinichi stiffened slightly and began to fidget. "Um… sure, Ran-chan. Let's go to the next room."

They quietly left the other occupants of the house asleep on the couch.

-----

-ACHOO!-

Conan sniffled as he rifled through his pack for his math book. The morning had gone…better. His need for coffee was slowly diminishing as well as his low, throbbing headache. Idly he wondered if he was simply hurting for something to do. After all, since the Kid's appearance he had been wired on enough adrenaline that he had completely forgotten about his need for caffeine.

The cold he was currently sporting was also enough to make him mostly oblivious.

-----

Ran had spent Sunday keeping Conan wrapped up in blankets and full of hot soup, but he was still feeling the effects of riding on Hattori's bike through that storm. Fortunately, Hattori had opted to take Kazuha back with him instead of his diminutive counterpart, leaving Conan to ride the blessedly sheltered train.

When they had awoken in the morning, piled across one another on the couch, Ran sadly noted that Shinichi had left sometime during the night. Sighing, she did her best to rouse the rest of the party out of their sleep. It was then she noted that Conan had a slight fever.

"Conan-kun! Why did you ride all the way here on the back of Hattori-kun's bike? You KNOW better than that!" Ran said.

She then turned her glare on the still-sleepy Hattori. "And you! What were you thinking taking a child on the roads last night, on a motorbike, during a THYPHOON?!"

Hattori suddenly felt very, very afraid.

-----

Conan chuckled to himself as he remembered the chewing out Hattori had received. Grumpily he sat down in his chair and opened his books to the current set of problems the class was working on.

A small, plastic packet fell out.

Curious, Conan stared at the piece of plastic, wondering where it had come from. Then he remembered that Hei-san had tossed it to him on Friday.

'_Agasa must have put it back in my book bag. Hmm…I wonder what it is…'_

Conan opened the thin, see-through pouch that enveloped the plastic square and slid its contents out. As he unfolded the square, he slowly realized what he was holding.

In his hands was a plain, clear plastic poncho.

Conan just stared.

'_It's a conspiracy,'_ Conan glumly thought to himself as the rest of the Detective Boys entered the classroom and sat down. Conan glanced at Genta and Mitsuhiko, both of whom wore glum expressions while Ayumi chattered excitedly. Apparently Ayumi had spent the morning telling them about her adventures over the weekend at the Suzuki estate and the boys were feeling left out of the adventure.

Conan was about to begin folding his poncho up when something dangling off of Ayumi's wrist caught his eye. It was a bracelet, hastily made but obviously done by hand. It was woven from green fabric and seemed to have something written on it. As Ayumi sat down, Conan caught a glimpse of the hurriedly stitched words that adorned the young girl's newest piece of jewelry. He saw BEST FRIENDS woven in golden stitching.

At his side calmly sat Ai, who was seemingly ignoring the world. Conan noted that on her wrist was a similar bracelet. With a shrug, his thoughts went back to her words on the playground.

"_Just accept that there are some mysteries even you'll never be able to solve, Kudo-kun." _

Sighing, Conan was starting to believe this was true.

-----

School.

Monday.

In a classroom in Japan, a student sat complacently as his teacher droned on with the day's lesson. While this may have been any student in any classroom, this student was different.

This student, unbeknownst to all but a few, was more than a simple student. He was in fact the most wanted man on the planet, the latest in a long line of respected, hunted and sought-after criminals that had walked the globe for centuries. He was known by dozens of names, and even popularized by his FBI criminal case number.

And he was sick.

**VERY** sick.

That morning he had scanned the papers and noted that some jewel thieves in Nagoya had been caught during a sting operation to apprehend the Kaito Kid. Apparently the note that the Kid had left led the police right to the thieves' hideout. There, they found over 300,000,000 yen worth of stolen jewels and property.

The thief (known affectionately to his friends as Kaito) suppressed a sneeze and wondered how his rivals were fairing. He knew that Hattori had been sporting a cold when he awoke on Sunday, but he could only guess about Conan.

'_Guess I'll find out when I go to work this afternoon,'_ Kid thought to himself.

Slowly a grin started to creep across the thief's young, handsome face. A grin that, had a certain blonde-haired detective sitting in front of him turned to see, would have confirmed some long-held suspicions.

The weekend hadn't been anything too elaborate or dangerous, in fact it was actually helpful for a few interesting people he knew. Besides, if absolutely nothing else… it had given him something to do. Despite the danger he had invited his greatest rivals to chase him, and then, after successfully escaping he had been so bold as to wander _back_ into the lions den a second time.

And why?

'_Because I could,'_ he thought to himself.

And that was that.

-----

Authors afterward

Right up front I need to give a huge thank you and nod to SubDivided for her wonderful and extremely detailed (and extremely honest) CnC. Were it not for her, this project would never have been finished.

Some notes concerning formatting and flow:

This was written as a giant one-shot that was broken up into three sections, partially for editing and partially for readership interest. The formatting you see here is NOT how I wanted the story to be originally presented; instead you are seeing the result of the limitations of this website.

Secondly, this isn't the entire story. SubDivided, my magnificent editor, suggested that I include a scene between Kaito and Ran towards the end of this chapter where Ran shows off her deduction prowess, and while the scene was written, I just don't like how it affects the flow of the piece. As a result, it was cut. I purposefully left in the lead-in towards the end of this story for that scene so that it could be polished and presented later, so watch for it.

This story serves the double-purpose of helping me to break into the habit of writing for _Detective Conan_ as well as helping me to honor the fanfic authors who I have read and enjoyed over the last year. Authors like Ysabet, Icka M. Chief and Becky Tailweaver, to name a few, have served as a massive inspiration for this tale. As a result, I've tossed in some subtle nods to each of these authors as a tribute (none so blatant as the direct reference to Ysabet's Hei-san). For their talent and time I say thank you, and keep it up!

Detective Conan is so obviously not owned by myself. All characters mentioned within this work are the property of Gosho Aoyama and is not meant for sale, financial reciprocation or commercial trade. This is a work of fiction.

_The Wizard of Oz_ is the property of the Frank L. Baum estate and Warner Brothers.

_The Ring and the Book_ is a work originally penned by Robert Browning.

Any and all comments, criticisms and what not should be directed towards BGlanders at aol. If you want to find out about fics as they happen, or just want to see some silliness, my LJ is Ronoken. There I tend to post updates on the stories I'm working on.

This was my first Conan story and I'm still a bit rusty, so PLEASE, if there was something you didn't enjoy or thought could use work, let me know!


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